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Full text of "The Pennsylvania-German : devoted to the history, biography, genealogy, poetry, folk-lore and general interests of the Pennsylvania Germans and their descendants"

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GIFT  OF 


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INDEX 


(PREPARED    BY   J.    B.   HAAG,    LITITZ,    PA.) 


SUBJECTS 


-^ 


to 


Biography  Page. 

The  Blessed  Memory  of  Henry  Harbaugh ....      12 

Albert   Gallatin,    Statesman 34 

Washington's   First    Commission 49 

Sketch  of  Col.  Matthias  Hollenback 53,   97 

John    Early      (Johannes    Oehrle)     and   his    De- 
scendants           74 

Charles    Shearer    Keyser 77 

Johannes    Roth    (Rhodes) 119 

Rev.    Lebrecht   Frederick    Herman 122 

Washington    to   the   German    Lutherans 152 

Incidents  from  the  Life  of  Bishop  John  Seybert   167 

The  Rev.   Stephen  Albion  Repass,   D.  D 282 

David    Tannenberg     339 

One   of   John    Brown's   Men 484 

An   hour   with   John    Brown 495 

Death   of   A.    Milton   Musser — A   Mormon   His- 
torian         565 

Karl    Christopher    Nadler 628 

<;-,    History: 

The     Pennsylvania-German     in     the    Valley   of 

-             Virginia      1 

x^!     Political     Facts — German     Citizens     of     Bucks 

•v,__J"             County  and  their  Descendants 6 

Cr^    How  New  Year  is  Observed  by  the  Moravians  11 

Salem   Church,   Monroe  County,   Pa 15 

C^^The   Early   Moravians   in   Berks  County 23,   67 

^     'flie  German   Colonists 31 

\        The  Palatines  of  the  Hudson  and  Schoharie.  .  103 
rO    Pennsylvania   Germans   in   Public   Life   During 

^  Nk,  _         the   Colonial   Period 153 

^    Lancaster    County    History 198 

",      Historic    Lititz     210 

"Historic  Places  in  Philadelphia,  Pa 225 

Origin   of  the  Names  of  the  Counties  of  Penn- 
sylvania        233 

The   Germans   in  North  Carolina 266 

The  Muncy  Valley 287 

The    Burning    of   Chambersburg 323 

Old  Highways  and   Old  Taverns.  ., 383 

The  Mennonites  as  Pioneers 387 

Hernhut   as  it   is  today 391 

The  March  of  the  Germans 396 

The     Germans,     Hessians     and     Pennsylvania- 
Germans    435 

Berlin   and   Brothersvalley 506,  552 

In  Y'e  Olden  Time 557 


Genealogy: 

Hans  Herr  and  his  Descendants 116 

Descendants  of  John  Early   (Johannes  Early).  126 
Notes    on     the     Kuntz     (Kuhns)     and     Brown 

Families  of   Lancaster  County,   Pa 278 

Hans  Joest  Heydt.  The   Story  of  a  Perkiomen 

Pioneer    330 

The    Elimaker    Family 341 

A    Musser    Family    Record 393 

Saylor    Bible    Record 505 

The  Nicholas   Hess  Family 569 

The    Dubbs    Family 606 

Michael    Keinadt    and    Some  of  His  Descendants  618 


Mi 


FolkijOKK   and   Fiction: 

Grossniutterchen    am  Winter   Owets  Feirherd.  .      36 

A    Rhine    Legend    (From   the   German) 132 

Grace    Leinberger,     or     the     White     Rose.      A 

Tale   of    Frontier   Life 172,    230,    597 

Pennsylvania's   Historical   Societies: 

Meeting    of    Pennsylvania-German    Society   45,  640 

Bucks  County   Historical   Society   142,   93,   415,  472 

The  Lehigh  County  Historical  Society     142,    414,  639 

York    County    Historical    Society ....  143,    414,  528 

The    Lancaster   County    Historical    Society.  190,  526 

The   Lebanon  County  Historical   Society ...  190,  359 

W^yoming   Historical    and    Genealogical    Society  190 
The   Susquehanna   County   Historical 

Society    247,  303 

Montgomery    County    Historical    Society .  .248,  639 

The   Presbyterian   Historical   Society 248 

The     New     England     Historical     Genealogical 

Society      248 

The  Pennsylvania  Society ■ 359 

Historical     Society    of    Berks    County 360 

Bradford  County  Historical   Society 583,  360 

Historical    Society    of    Dauphin    County..  415,  639 

Chester    County    Historical    Society 526 

Annual    Meeting    of    the    Moravian    Historical 

Society     ....  527 

Der     Deutcho    Pioneer — Verein     von     Philadel- 
phia        583 

Union   County   Historical   Society .  . 583 

Western   Pennsylvania   Historical   Society 584 

Miisecllaneous: 

Old   Churches   and   old   Graveyards 58 

New  Y'ork  Public  Library.     Its  German  Amer- 
ican   Collections    63 

Heads  of  Families  at  the  first  Census 79 

Philadelphia   Founders'    Anniversary 84 

How  to   search   for   Historical  Material 110 

To  the  Memory  of   Henry  A.   Schuler 114 

Philadelphia's    many    Firsts 128 

To    the    Friends    and    Patrons    of    Schools   and 

the  Improvement  of  Y'outh 133 

The   Introduction   of   Wire   Cables 134 

Origin  of  Sunday  Schools 145 

How  Easter  is  observed  by  the  Moravians.  .  .  .  150 
An    account    of    the    Manners    of    the    German 

Inhabitants   of   Pennsylvania   in    1789.157,220 

Jacob's   Church,    Jacksonville,    Lehigh   Co.,    Pa.  162 

Rev'd    Peter    Frederick    Niemyer 165 

Some     Pennsylvania-German     Settlers     in     the 

western    part   of   the   State 169 

Suggestive    Sources    of    Church    History 171 

Ancient    Home    of   Old    Organ    Builders......  174 

A  Farmer  shelters  tramps  for  forty  years....  176 

A  Replv  to  the  Letter  of  Dr.  Alfred  P.  Schultz  177 

The  Stage  Coach  Driver 178 

Die  Auswanderer    180 

Language   Lesson   E.xercise 180 

A  few   words  about  The  Pennsylvania-German  193 

The  Mournful   Ballad  of  Susanna  Cox 232 

The   Spelling  of  our  Dialect 235 


V 

^ 


INDEX 


r 


A    War    Song 246 

Johann  Arndt  and  his  "True  Christianity'.'..  249 
On      Bruin's     Swing      (A     Tulpehocken      Bear 

Story       262 

Grandmother    Home    Remedies 272 

An    Old    Time    Tragedy 290 

History   of   the   Plaintield    Church 305,  361 

The    Covered    Basket 317 

River    Brethren    in    Kansas 347 

Seeing      Lancaster      County      from      a      Trolley 

\Snndow 372,   417,   474,   529,  611 

Opening  of  the  East  Penn   Railroad 401 

How  I  became  a  Schoolmaster  in  America.  .  .  443 
The    German    Language     and     Family     Names 

Among   the   Creoles   of   Louisiana 448 

Race    or    Mongrel 454 

Christ   Evangelical   Lutheran    Church   of   Lower 

Berniudian,   Adams  Co.,   Pa 456 

An    Account    of    the    Province    of    Pennsylvania 

by    Francis    Daniel    Pastorius 460 

History   of   the   Blauch   Family 500 

On    the   German    Dialect    spoken    in    the    Valley 

of   Virginia 510 

The      Early      Church      of      the      Goshenhoppen 

Region      541 

How    I    became   a    Schoolmaster    in    Brecknock  567 

"Die    Neu    Welt"    by    Michael    Herr 571 

German     Character — An     Appreciation 585 

Lynn's     Honor     Roll 594 

Christmas    in    the    Hessian    Camp 602 

Christmas    in    the    Olden    Days 604 

The  Value  of  Family  and  Social  Reuions...  622 
In  Memoriam — Ministers  Buried  at  Allen- 
town,     Pa 626 

Literary  Gems: 

En    Hier-Rawt    Pardy 89 

Ein    Psalm    des    Lebens .  . '. 135 


Das   Maedchen   von   Fort   Henry 

Yost   Yoder    " 

Leera    Bumpa    

Mei     Mutterschprooch     

Die    Kinneryohr    

The    Old    Chain    Bridge 

The     Anointing      

Grumbiere   Keffer    

Lost    Customs    

Uncle    Casper's    Beauty    Rose 

Two  Little   Shoeses  with  their  Neckties  on.  . 

De    Olda    Shule    Dawga 

Mei     Alta     Schuldawga 

Das    Baechlein     

'me    Brooklet     

In     Jesu     Schlafend 

In    \eu    York 

De    Lecha    County   Fair 

Urtext       

Pennsylvania    German    

Andenken     

Der    Mensch     

Die    Aerschta    Hussa 

Es    Fet   und   Inschlich   Licht 


135 
136 
237 
238 
238 
294 
348 
350 
351 
351 
403 
404 
404 
405 
405 
405 
406 
462 
463 
463 
464 
575 
575 
576 
.The    Home 37,    88,    137,    181 

Editorial    Department:     40,     90,     139,,    183,     241 

298,    354,    409,    466,   523,   579,    635. 
Business     Announcement    and     Edtorial      Staff 

for     1909       40 

Clippings    from    Current    News,    41,    91,    140,    185, 

242,    354,    409. 
The   Forum,   43,   93,    141,    188,   245,    300,    357,    411, 

469,    524,    579,    636. 
Reviews    and    Notes,    47,    95,    144,    191,    239,    296, 

352,    407,    464,    521,    577,    632. 
The   Joker's  Page 44,    187,    300 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PORTRAIT.S  : 

Mrs.    H.    H.    Funk Frontispiece,   Jan.    09 

Prof.    E.    S.    Gerhard Frontispiece,   Jan.   09 

Rev.     J.    A.     Scheifer Frontispiece,   Jan.   09 

H.     W.     Kriebel Frontispiece,   Jan.   09 

Matthias    Hollenback     54 

Charles    S.    Keyser,    Esq 78 

Rev.    W.    H.    Brong 366 

Rev.   Thomas   Pomp 366 

Rev.    Erasmus    Helfrich 367 

Rev.    E.    W.    Reinecke,    D.  D 367 

Rev.    G.   J.    Lisberger 369 

Dr.    S.    S.    Haldeman 381 

Henry     NefT    Kagey 485 

John    Henry    Kagi   and   Lady   Friend 491 

John    Brown's    Associates 497 

D.     D.     Blauch 500 

First   Officers  of  the   Blauch-Blough-Plough   Re- 
union   Association     501 

Old    Folks    of    Blauch-Blough-Plough    Reunion 

Association     503 

Karl    Christopher     Nadler ,.  .  .  .  628 

Scenes  and  Views: 

The     Old     Hollenback     Mill,     Wilkesl)arre,     Pa., 

i)uilt     1809-10 98 

The    Great    Bend    o    fthe    West    Branch    River 

around   the   Bald   Eagle 286 

Outlet   Locks   at   the   River,   below  Fort  Penn.  .  287 
Muncy   Valley   as   seen   from  McMichael's   Look- 
out        288 

Ruins    of    the    Aqueduct    at    Mouth    of    Muncy 

Creek      289 

The   Old   Chain    Bridge 294 

Ijehigh    Water    Gap,    Pa 295 

Location  of  second  Building   (Plainfield  Church  314 

Plainlield     Church     316 

Ellmaker    Homestead,      Earl    Township,      Lane. 

Co.,     Pa 342 

The    Old    Leonard    Ellmaker    Graveyard 344 

Leonard    Kllmaker's    Grave 346 

Plainfield    Church    Decorations    1863 368 

Plainfield    Church    Decorations    1903 369 

Old     Log     Srhoolhouse 370 


Map    of    Lancaster    County August    Supi^lement 

Center     Square,      Lancaster 373 

Northwestern    Section   of   Lancaster 374 

Wheatland      — 376 

Conestoga    Wagon     378 

Columbia's   Historic   Bridges 379 

Historic    Spots    of    Wrightsville 380 

Chickies   and   Marietta 382 

Herrnhut    today     392 

Historic    Buidings   of    Lancaster    County 418 

Mount    Joy    Railroad    Cut 419 

Donegal     Springs 419 

Donegal    Presbyterian    Church 420 

Cameron    Homestead     421 

Tunnel    Cut     421 

The     Square,     Elizabethtown 422 

Catholic    Church,    Elizabethtown .  423 

Elizabethtown    College     424 

Wabank    Hotel,     Burned    1873 424 

The   Lake — Millersville,    Pa.    State   Normal 

School     425 

A    Tobawo    Field 426 

Martie    Forge   Railroad    Bridge 427 

Rawlinsville    Trolley    Terminus 428 

Hotel   Quarryville    428 

Birthplace    of    Robert    Pulton 429 

The    Ramsay    Home 430 

Birthplace    of    W.    U.    Hensel,    Quarrvville,    Pa.  430 

The    Herr    House .' 431 

Main     Street,     Strasburg 432 

The    Shroy    Home 433 

Mennonite   Meeting   House,    Strasburg 433 

Appearance    of    Buchanan's    Grave    before    re- 
cent   Improvements    were    made 434 

Lower        Bermudian       Evangelical         Lu;heran 

Church      ; 458 

Blanche     Nevin     Fountain 473 

Pennsvlvania    R.    R.     Station 474 

County    House    and    .\sylum 474 

Witmer's    Bridge     475 

Historic    Houses   by    the   Way 477 

Gap     and    Prquea     Valley 478 

Entrance    to    Bellevue    Presbyterian    Church .  .  .  479 

View   of   Gap,    Pa 480 


INDEX 


William    Penn    Spring 481 

(iiip    Clock    Towev 482 

The    Old    Sadsbur.v    Meeting    House 483 

riirisliana     Riot    House 483 

Handwriting   of   J.    H.    Kagi 487 

Former    Residence   of   Mrs.    Mary   Bittner 492 

Kphrata    Cloister     Buildings 530 

Main    Street    Looking    East,     Adamstown,    Pa.  531 

Street     Scene,     Intercimrse,     Pa 531 

\ew    Holland    School    House   and    Street    Scene  532 

New     Holland     Churches 533 

Home   of    Miss    Blanche    Nevin 534 

Conestoga    Valley    looking    South    from    Church- 
town,    Pa 535 

Bridge    Across    the    Conestoga    near    Blue    Ball  536 

Bird's-e.ve     View    of    Adamstown 537 

Kphrata    Scenery     538 

Bird's-Kye   View   and   Main    Street,    Reamstown  539 

The   Old    Historic   Muddy   Creek   Church 539 

P.    M.    Musser    Memorial    Chapel 540 

New    Goshenhoppen    Church     17691857 542 


New      Goshenhoppen     Reformed     Church     and 

Rev.     C.     M.     deLong 543 

Old    Six   Cornered    Church.      Built    1803 545 

St.    Paul's    Lutheran    Church..  . 546 

Old    Goshenhoppen    Church 548 

(  liurch    of   the    Most    Blessed    Sacrament,    Bally  550 

The    Dubbs    Coiit    of    Arms 606 

The     Dubbs     Homestead 609 

(ieorge     Ross     Monument 611 

Union     Stock     Yards 611 

Cemetery    at    Oregon 612- 

Rotary    Station    Near    Neffsville 613 

View     of     Manheim 613 

The    Stiegel    Mansion 614 

The    Stiegel    Oilice 614 

The    Brickerville    Lutheran    Chui'ch 615 

A    Ten    Plate    Stove 616 

The     Historic     Stiegel     Homestead     (now     Cole- 
man)         616 

Tomb.stone    of    P'irst    Wife   of    Baron    Stieyel...  617 

A    Lititz    Springs    View 617 


AUTHORS    AND    CONTRIBUTORS 


145,    383,    495,    565, 


Avellanus,     Pi'of.     Arcadius. 

Anonymous      

A.   S.   B 

Betz,    Dr.    I.   H 58 

Boonastiel,    Gottlieb     

Brower,     Dr.     William 

Bachman,    J.    Fred 172,    230, 

Barba,     Preston    Albert 

Bittinger,     Lucy     Forney 

Brong,     Rev.     W.     H.     '. 305, 

Baltimore    American     

Beck.    Abraham    R 

Buehrle,     R.    K 

Billheimer,     Rev.     Stanlev 

Blauch,    D.    D ". 

Brunner,    Frank    R..    M.  D 

Chapman,    Hon.    Henry 

Clare,     Israel     Smith 

Campbell,    William    L 

Craig,    Wm 

Coulston,    Capt     Frederick    C 

Collier's     Weeklv 

Dubbs,    Jos.    H.,    1).  ]).,    LL.D 12, 

Daily     Register 

Dr.    G.,    Mt.    Zion,    Pa 

Denny,    H.    A 

D.   M.   in   Reformed   Church   Record 

Deiler,    Prof.    .7.    Hanno 

deLong.    Rev.   C.   M 

Karly,    Rev.    J.    W 74, 

Klder,    Cyrus    136, 

Ellmaker,    J.    Watson 

Khman,    Henrv    

Fick,    Dr.    H.  "  H 

Fuld.    Leonard    Felix.   M.  A.,    LL.  M 

Gruber,    M.    A 177, 

Gernerd,    J.    M.    M 

Grumbine,    Dr.    E 

tfehman,    U.   H • 

Grosse,    Dr.    Friedrich     

(Jrumbine,     Harvey    Carson 

Gotthold,    Aug.     . 

(Matfelter,     S.     F 

Hadden,    John     

Helbig,    Richard    E 

Herr,     Theodore     W 

Horne,    Dr.    A.    R 

H.   C.    B.    in    Reformed    Church    Record 

Hagen,    Rev.    E.    S 

Hulsbuck.    Sollv     

Hays,    H.   M 

Hess,    Asher    S 

Keyser,   Kaaman    H 


114 

351 
405 
622 

89 
119 
597 
632 
249 
361 
323 
339 
405 
456 
500 
576 
178 
198 
198 
294 
323 
396 
606 
174 
302 
303 
406 
448 
541 
120 
348 
341 
433 
135 
300 
571 
287 
290 
303 
303 
403 
463 
464 

49 

63 
116 
233 
351 
391 
404 
510 
569 

77 


Keller,    Rev.    Eli.  .  . 
Kuhns,    Prof.    Oscar. 
Kansas    City    Star  .  . 
Dr.    W.    P. 
Dr.    J.    G. 
Alma"     .  .  .  . 
H.    W.     .  .  . 
James     B.     .  . 


,165, 


Kistler, 
Kistler, 
"Klam, 
Kriebel, 
Laux, 


J.   C. 


Leonard,    Rev.    Dv 

Jjutz,    Henrv    F 

Miller,    Daniel    2.3,    67, 

Michener,    Henry   C 

Mittler's    Deutche    Volkslieder 

Moore,    Charles    C 

Mever,    Dr.    T.    P.     .  .  .  ^ 

Mohr,    Ella   J 

North     American      

Neifert,    W.    W 

Philadelphia     Ledger     

Philadelphia    Inquirer     

Petit,     Henry     

Roberts,    Charles    R 

Rupp,    I.    D 157, 

Reformed    Church    Record 

Rudelphi,     Karoline     

Rashen,    Prof.    J.    F.    L 

Schaeffer,     D.     Nicholas 

Swank's    Progressive    Pennsylvania 

Salem,    Rev.    H.    C 

Stapleton.    Rev.    Dr 

Scheffer,    Rev.    J.    A.,    M.  A 

Stump,     Rev.    Adam 262, 

Singmaster,     Elsie     

Slingluff,    Lieut.    Fielder    C 

Smvth,    S.    Gordon 

Seip,    J.    W 

Smith,    Prof.    C.    Henry 

Shultz.    Dr.    Alfred    P 

Schuler,    H.    A 

Seyfert,    Hon.    A.    G 

Town    and    Country 

Wavland,    John    W.,    Ph.  D 

Weitzel,    Louisa    A 11,    150,   210, 

Wuchter,    Rev.    A.   (' 15,    162,    238, 

War.amaker.     Hon.     John 

Weller,    H.    A 

Welles.    Edward    53 

Weidman.     Sebastian     

Wavland,    Prof.    John    W 

Weifley.    W.    tl 506, 

Ziegler.    C.    C 

Zimmerman,    (^ol.    T.    (' 


626 
278 
347 
594 
594 
618 
372 
103 
266 
435 
557 
110 
180 
237 
272 
462- 
225 
302 
87 
128 
341 
153 
220 
171 
405 
460 
122- 
134 
152 
167 
169 
282 
317 
323 
330 
351 
387 
454 
463 
56r 
17& 
1 
575 
575 
31 
36 
,  9T 
302- 
484 
552 
23* 
536 


V  INDEX 

NUMBER  OP  PAGES  IN  EACH  MONTHLY  ISSUE 

The   following   list,    showing   the   number   of   pages  in    each    monthly-  issue,    will    be    convenient    in    con- 
nection  with   the   foregoing   Index,   for   finding   the   separate   numbers   containing   any   desired    article. 


January .Pages 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 


1    to      48 

inclusive 

Julv 

305    ' 
361   ' 

'   360 

49    "      9fi 

Augxist 

'   416 

97    '■    144 

Se;  tcmber 

417   ' 

'   472 

145     ■    192 

October 

473    ' 

'    528 

193    •'    248 

November 

529    ■ 

'   584 

249    "    804 

December 

585    ' 

'    640 

SUPPLEMENTARY   MATTER 


Tombstone   IxstRiPTioss; 

Bern    Church,    Berks   Co January-February 

DeLong's  Church,    Berks   Co February 

Great    Swamp   Church,    Lehigh   Co February 

Chestnut   Hill,    Lehigh    Co February 


Arendtsville,    Adams    Co February 

Jerusalem    Church,    Lehigh    o March 

In    Hereford  Township,   Berks  Co April 

Death    Notices    in    "Die   Biene"    1846-48 April 


Mrs.  H.  H.  Funk 


Prof.  E.  S.  Gerhard 


^^1S^ 


■'^ 


Rev.  J.  A.  Scheffer 


H.  W.  Kriebel 


A  Happy    and    Prosperous    New    Year 

THE  EDITORIAL  STAFF 


Supplement  to  the  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN,  January,  1909. 


Vol.  X 


JANUARY,  1909 


No. 


The  Pennsylvania-German  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia 

By  John  W.  Wayland,  Ph.  D. 

INSTRUCTOR  IN  HISTORY,  UNIVERSITY  OF  VIRGINIA,  CHARLOTTESVILLE,  VA. 


E  ]\IA^'  sa}"  the  Penns}^!- 
vania  -  German,  because 
most  of  the  Germans  of 
northern  Virginia  came 
down  across  the  Potomac 
from  Maryland  and 
Pennsylvania.  A  few 
came  from  the  German- 
na  and  Madison  settlements  east  of 
the  P)lne  Ridge ;  and  a  few  parhaps 
came  up  from  the  Carolinas ;  but 
nine  out  of  ten,  in  all  probability,  had 
first   been    in    Pennsylvania. 

In  that  part  ui  the  Valley  of  Vir- 
ginia drained  I)y  the  Shenandoah 
River,  the  German  people  form  the 
majority.  In  the  counties  of  Rock- 
ingham. Shenandoah  and  Page,  they 
form  the  large  majority;  in  Augusta, 
Warren  and  Frederick,  they  form 
about  half  of  the  population  ;  in  Jeff- 
erson ami  licrkley  (West  Virginia) 
they  are  much  in  evidence  ;  in  Clarke 
the  German  element  is  inconsider- 
able. 

In  the  nine  counties  just  named 
one  may  be  safe  in  estimating  the 
]:)resent  number  of  persons  of  German 
descent  at  90.000.  !Many  of  the  most 
]irominent  families  l^ear  German 
names,  for  exani]i]e,  the   Bakers,   Bed- 


ingers,  Bowmans,  COnrads.  Funks, 
Henkles.  Hites,  Huffmans,  Koontzes, 
Maucks,  Millers,  Neffs,  Painters, 
Pennybackers,  Pitmans,  Rinkers,  Rol- 
lers, Ruffners.  Snyders,  Spenglers. 
Stickleys,  Stovers,  Stricklers,  Ziglers, 
Zirkles. 

In  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
Virginia  Valley  the  German  element 
is  also  strong.  Passing  beyond  Rock- 
bridge County  and  the  adjacent  sec- 
tions of  Augusta  and  Botetourt.where 
the  Scotch-Irish  are  in  the  majority, 
we  find  the  German  families  numer- 
ous in  southwest  Botetourt,  in  Roa- 
noke, and  in  Floyd,  as  well  as  in  the 
adjoining  county  of  Franklin,  just 
east  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  In  these  dis- 
tricts the  Crumpackers,  Filers,  Garsts, 
Graybills,  Moomaws,  Nafifs,  Nin- 
ingers,  and  others  are  frequently  met 
with. 

The  Valley  of  Virginia  Germans, 
like  their  kinsmen  of  Pennsylvania, 
have  won  distinction  in  all  fields  of 
achievement.  In  the  national  Plouse 
of  Representatives  Daniel  Sheflfey 
and  Jacob  Swoope  were  men  of  recog- 
nized ability;  in  the  Senate  Isaac  S. 
Pennybacker  and  Harrison  Holt  Rid- 
dleberger   won    special    distinction.    In 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


war,  John  Peler  Gabriel  Muhlenberg" 
and  Abraham  Bowman  are  both 
famous  as  commanders  of  the  Vir- 
g'inia  German  Regiment  in  the  Revo- 
lution ;  Major  Joseph  Bowman, 
brother  to  Colonel  Abraham,  was 
second  in  command  with  George 
Rogers  Clarke,  in  the  conquest  of  the 
Xorthwest,  an  achievement  that  g'ave 
V^irginia  and  the  new^  nation  a  rich 
empire  north  of  the  Ohio  River.  At 
least  half  of  the  famous  Stonewall 
Brig-ade,  that  "Old  Guard"  of  the 
South  in  the  late  civil  war,  were  men 
of  German  name  and  lineage.  In 
literature  we  may  point  to  Henry 
Ruffner,  Aldine  Kiefifer,  Henry  Bed- 
inger.  and  Danske  Bedinger  Dand- 
ridge ;  in  education,  Dr.  W.  H.  Ruff- 
ner, Virginia's  first  superintendent  of 
])ublic  instruction,  and  Henry  Tut- 
willer,  the  educational  organizer  of 
Alabama,  cannot  be  overlooked.  At 
least  four  of  the  institutions  for 
higher  education  now  in  operation  in 
the  Valley  of  Virginia  are  the  founda- 
tions of  German  religious  sects.  The 
first  German  newspaper  ever  printed 
in  Virginia  was  the  New  Market 
(Shenandoah  County)  Volksberichter 
of  1807  ;  the  second  was.  Der 
Deutsche  Virginier  Adler,  established 
at  Staunton  (Augusta  Countv)  in 
1808. 

The  two  most  famous  natural  cur- 
iosities in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  are 
the  Luray  Caverns  and  Weyer's 
Cave.  The  former,  first  known  as 
Ruffner's  Cave,  was  discovered  on  the 
land  of  Joseph  Ruffner,  by  one  of  his 
sons,  in  or  about  the  year  1793 ;  the 
latter,  long  known  as  Mohler's  Cave, 
was  found  in  the  vear  1804  by  Ber- 
nard Weyer.  The  'Ruffners,  Mohlers. 
and  Bernard  Weyer  were  all  Ger- 
mans. The  most  famous  turnpike  in 
Virginia  —  the  one  over  which  Phil 
Sheridan  made  his  celebrated  ride, 
and  along  which  he  did  his  still  more 
famous  barn-burning — is  the  pike 
from  Winchester  to  Staunton.  This 
was  constructed  largely  by  the  sub- 
scriptions of  the  German  'farmers  of 
the  Valley,  and  under  the  direction  of 


commissioners  largely  composed  of 
men  of  the  same  nationality.  The 
first  and  most  extensive  iron  furnaces 
and  forges  in  the  Valley  were  Ger- 
man  enterprises. 

The  towns  of  Strasburg,  Stephens 
City,  Woodstock,  Shepherdstown, 
Bridgewater  (Dinkletown),  and  Day- 
ton ( Rifeville)  were  founded  by  Ger- 
mans ;  and  in  the  entire  history  of 
Winchester,  Staunton,  Harrisonburg, 
Luray,  Waynesboro,  Front  Royal, 
Mt.  Jackson,  Edinburg,  Timberville. 
and  Broadway  the  Germans  have 
been  prominent.  The  German,  Jacob 
Swoope,  was  the  first  mayor  of  Staun- 
ton, the  Scotch-Irish  town.  Over 
eighty  towns  and  villages  in  the  Val- 
ley of  Virginia   bear  German   names. 

A  certain  German  of  Frederick 
County,  Virginia,  bears  a  distinction 
that  is  unique.  On  December  5. 
1776,  the  now  world-famous  Society 
of  Beta  Kappa  was  founded  at  Wil- 
liam and  Mary  College.  On  March 
27.  ^777'  the  charter  members  elected 
a  single  additional  member :  Isaac 
Hite  (1758-1836),  a  grandson  of  Jost 
Mite,  who  was  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers of  the  lower  Valley.  Isaac  Hite 
was  later  a  major  in  the  Revolution- 
ary army,  and  served  as  aide  to  Gen- 
eral Muhlenberg  at  the  siege  of  York- 
tf)\\'n.  He  married  Nelly  Madison, 
sister  to  James  Madison,  fourth  Presi- 
dent. Bushrod  Washington.  John 
Marshall,  and  other  men  who  won  na- 
tional distinction,  were  among  the 
early  members  of  Phi  Beta  Kappa ; 
but  Hite  was  evidently  the  first  man 
chosen  by  the  charter  members  and 
the  only  one  elected  at  the  time. 

The  histories  of  Virginia  have  uni- 
formly stated  it  as  a  fact  that  the  first 
white  man  to  look  upon  01  visit  the 
Valley  of  the  Shenandoah  was  Alex- 
ander Spotswood,  governor  of  Vir- 
ginia, who  crossed  the  Blue  Ridge  in 
the  year  1716,  and  who,  upon  his  re- 
turn to  tidewater,  gave  each  of  the 
gentlemen  in  his  party  a  golden 
horseshoe  to  commemorate  the  expe- 
dition.      Spotswood    also     established 


THE     PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN     IN    THE   VALLEY   OF  VIRGINIA 


the  iron-working-  community  east  of 
the  Bhie  Ridge,  on  the  Rapidan 
River,  locating  there  a  colony  of  Ger- 
mans, from  whom  the  ])lace  is  called 
Germanna  to  this  day.  Cut  for  all  the 
beauty  and  romance  of  the  governor's 
expedition,  and  the  charm  that  lin- 
gers about  the  story  of  the  "  Knights 
of  the  Golden  Horseshoe,"  the  facts 
nt)vv  in  hand  seeiu  to  prove  beyond  a 
doubt  that  other  white  men  were  in 
the  Valley  before  the  gallant  gover- 
nor. Without  going  into  the  question 
in  detail,  the  writer  is  of  the  opinion 
that  a  German,  John  Lederer,  was 
probably  the  first  European  to  ex- 
plore the  great  Virginia  Valley.  Ac- 
ci:»rding  to  a  journal  kept  by  Lederer 
in  Latin,  translated  into  English  by 
the  governor  of  ^Maryland,  and  i)rint- 
ed  at  London  in  the  year  1672,  Led- 
erer made  three  exploring  expeditions 
from  eastern  Virginia  in  1669  and 
1670,  upon  two  of  which  expeditions 
he  traversed  the  Shenandoah  Valley. 
This,  it  will  be  observed,  was  forty- 
six  years  before  the  expedition  by 
Snotswood.  Moreover,  in  order  to 
appreciate  the  priority  of  the  time 
more  fully,  we  may  recall  that  it  was 
ten  years  before  the  great  La  Salle 
set  out  from  Canada  to  find  the  mouth 
of  the  Mississi])])i  :  and  twelve  years 
before  Penn's  settlement  at  Philadel- 
phia. 

Some  i)ersons  do  not  credit  Leder- 
er's  narrative ;  but  from  a  careful 
study  of  it  the  writer  believes  it 
trustworthy.  Furthermore,  the  map 
which  accompanies  the  narrative,  and 
which  is  remarkably  correct,  consid- 
ering the  hasty  journeys  through  the 
wilderness  from  which  it  was  prepar- 
ed, c(ndd  not  have  been  drawn  with- 
out an  actual  \-isit  to  the  regions  ])or- 
trayed.  or  without  an  earlier  ma]:)  to 
copy. 

Just  as  Governor  Suotswood  has 
long  been  regarded  as  the  first  Euro- 
uean  to  cross  the  P)lue  Ridge  into  the 
Shenandoah  Valley,  so  Jost  Hite,  a 
German  from  Strasburg.  who  settled 
near   the   site  of  Winchester    in     1732, 


has  long  been  spoken  of  as  the  first 
permanent  settler  of  the  Valley.  Hite 
came  to  New  York  about  1710,  and 
later  removed  to  Pennsylvania ; 
whence  in  the  year  1732  he  led  a  col- 
ou}'  of  Germans  and  Scotch-Irish  in- 
to Virginia.  But  it  seems  to  be  a  well 
established  fact  that  others,  notably 
other  Germans,  ])receded  Hite  into 
the  Valley  of  the  Shenandoah,  and 
estal)lished  settlements  older  than  his. 
About  the  year  1727  Adam  Miller  and 
other  Germans  from  Pennsylvania 
staked  out  claims  in  what  is  now  Page 
County;  others  soon  following  them 
into  the  same  locality ;  and  it  is  said 
that  German  settlements  were  also 
made  in  the  lower  Valley,  in  the  vic- 
inity of  Shepherdstown,  W.Va..  about 
1726  or  1727.  These  early  settlements 
are  noticed  in  detail  in  the  writer's 
recent  voliune  on  the  German  Ele- 
ment in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  of 
Virginia. 

.As  has  been  noted  already,  most  ui 
the  Germans  who  settled  in  the  V.al- 
ley  of  Virginia  came  by  way  of  Penn- 
syKania  and  Maryland.  It  may  be  ob- 
serxed,  further,  that  most  of  them, 
both  those  that  came  to  Virginia  and 
those  that  remained  in  Pennsylvania, 
were  originally  from  southern  Ger- 
many and  Switzerland.  So  many 
came  from  the  Rhenish  Palatinate 
thai  the  German  immigrants  landing 
at  lMiiladel])hia  were  frequently  spok- 
en of  indiscriminately  as  "Palatines." 

In  the  Valley  of  Virginia  the  Ger- 
mans settled  in  force  on  the  upper 
Shenandoah  River,  both  branches,  and 
upon  the  tributaries  thereof.  From 
Harrisonburg  to  Front  Royal  and 
\\  inchester  they  were  soon  in  pos- 
session of  most  of  the  good  lands. 
Woodstock  was  in  the  early  days  the 
a7)])roximate  center  of  the  German  set- 
tlements; but  the  tide  has  ke])t  moving 
southwestward  through  the  years,  so 
that  now  the  centre  would  be  found 
about  half-way  between  Woodstock 
and  Harrisonburg.  In  what  is  no\x' 
Clarke  County  was  a  stronghold  of 
Engflish,   as   alreadv   incHcated  :   in   and 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


around  •  Staunton,  in  Augusta  County, 
was  the  great  Scotch-Irish,  tract ;  and 
beyond,  in  the  southwest,  about  the 
present  city  of  Roanoke,  were  other 
German  communities. 

It  has  been  observed  that  over 
eighty  towns  and  villages  in  the  Val- 
ley of  V^irginia  bear  German  names. 
This  is  true  of  that  part  of  the  dis- 
trict known  properly  as  the  Shenan- 
doah Valley,  excluding  the  part  of  the 
X'alley  southwest  of  Staunton.  If  the 
whole  Valley  were  taken  into  account 
the  number  would  be  considerably  in- 
creased. These  eighty  odd  names  are 
distributed   as   follows  : 

In    Rockingham   County,  27  ; 

In    Shenandoah    County,  22; 

In  Augusta  County,  11; 

In    Frederick    County,  8; 

In   Page  County,  7; 

In   Jefferson   County,  6; 

In   Berkeley  County,  3  ; 

'In   Warren   County,  2. 

It  is  only  within  recent  years  that 
much  has  been  said  or  written  about 
the  German  element  of  Virginia.  For 
this  expensive  neglect  there  are  sev- 
eral reasons.  For  one  thing,  there  have 
been  no  strong  forces  moving  to  call 
the  attention  of  the  German  people  of 
\'irginia  to  their  peculair  history.  xA.c- 
cordingly,  many  |:)ersons  that  are  of 
German  lineage  either  do  not  know  it 
or  do  not  appreciate  the  fact.  A  few 
— fewer  now  than  in  former  times — 
are  ashamed  to  acknowdedge  their 
German  blood.  Such  persons  are  gen- 
erally to  be  pitied,  indeed.  Because  of 
the  antii)athy  for  a  long  time  existing 
against  the  Hessians,  and  because  the 
{patriotism  of  certain  of  the  religious 
sects  was  misunderstood,  all  the  Ger- 
mans were  looked  u])on  with  more  or 
less  susi)icion  and  disfa\or,  and  in  or- 
der to  esca])e  this  sus])icion,  some  of 
the  German  peoi)le  made  efforts,  more 
or  less  successful,  to  hide  their 
nationality,  and  to  ap])ear  "English"; 
innocentl}-  overlooking  the  fact  that 
hardly  an}-  peo])le  are  so  essentiallv 
Teutonic  as  the  English.  Being  isolat- 
ed   from    the   conserving   German   cen- 


ters in  I'ennsyhania,  and  being  sand- 
wiched in  between  English-speaking 
majorities,  the  Germans  of  the  Valley 
of  Virginia  soon  began  to  lose  their 
language,  voluntarily  or  involuntarily, 
and  to  adopt  the  speech  and  customs 
of  their  neighbors.  Even  their  names 
became  disguised  and  transformed 
beyond  tlie  possibility  of  recognition 
in  many  instances.  A  considerable 
number  of  family  names  now  found 
in  the  Valley  are  api^arently  English, 
l)ut  are  really  (jerman.  That  is,  they 
no\\-  have  a  form  that  is  English  or 
Irish  or  Scotch-Irish  ;  l)ut  if  they  are 
traced  back  several  generations  they 
will  be  found  to  be  originally  German 
IJaker  (Becker).  Brown  (Braun). 
Moore  (Mohr),  Vox  (F"ucbs),  Price 
(Preyss),  Stone  (Stein),  Crabill 
(Kriebel)  are  familiar  examples  of 
such  names.  Of  course,  not  all  per- 
sons in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  with 
these  and  similar  names  are  of  Ger- 
man descent ;  the  difificulties  in  the 
way  of  identification  are  increased  by 
the  fact  that  in  the  same  community 
may  be  found  persons  t)f  different 
nationality,  who  spell  and  uronounce 
their  names  exactly  alike.  It  may  be 
laid  (iwn  as  a  rule,  hmvever,  that  wdiile 
many  German  names  are  disguised 
under  English  forms,  hardly  any  Eng- 
lish or  Scotch-Irish  names  are  dis- 
guised under  German  forms.  One  is 
in  constant  danger,  therefore,  of  over- 
estimating the  number  of  English  and 
Scotch- Irish,  and  of  underestimating 
the  number  of  Germans.  The  same 
thing  would  be  reversed  had  the  Eng- 
lish and  Scotch-Irish  settled  in  a 
country  where  the  Germans  were  all 
about  them,  and  where  German  was 
the  natitmal  language. 

In  ])roductive  literary  activit}'  the 
Virginia  Germans  have  made  an  envi- 
able record.  Of  the  five  places  in  Vir- 
ginia, as  catalogued  by  Professor  Os- 
wald -Seidensticker.  where  German 
]>rinting  A\as  carried  on  ])rior  to  1830. 
four  —  Winchester,  New  Market. 
Staunton,  and  1  larrisonburg  —  are  in 
the   Shenandoah    X'alley.     As   early  as 


THE     PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN     IN    THE    VALLEY    OF   VIRGINIA 


1805  a  German  almanac  was  issued 
fr()m  Winchester  by  Jacob  D.  Diet- 
rich ;  he  it  was  who  established  the 
weekly  Adler  at  Staunton  in  1808. 
Ambrose  Henkel  founded  the  famous 
Henkel  press  —  still  in  operation  —  at 
New  Market  in  1806;  and  in  1807 
started  the  weekly  Volksberichter. 
Early  in  the  century,  perhaps  about 
1810,  Laurentz  R.  W'artman  establish- 
ed a  press  at  Harrisonburg",  which  is 
still  in  operation,  and  from  which 
were  issued  in  the  early  days  not  only 
periodicals,  but  also  frequent  bound 
volumes  in  German  and  in  Eui^lish. 

One  of  the  most  notable  j^rintint;- 
centers  was  founded  in  western  Rock- 
ingham County,  at  the  little  village  of 
Mountain  X'alley  (Singer's  Glen),  in 
1847,  '^y  Joseph  Funk,  the  Mennonite. 
He  and  his  sons  are  still  famous  in 
Virginia  and  \\'est  \irginia.  as  teach- 
ers of  vocal  music;  and  in  these  and 
many  (^ther  States  l)v  reason  of  the 
music  books  which  they  wrote  and 
published  at  the  little  village  that 
nestles  in  the  afternoon  shadow  of  the 
Alleghanies.  The  "Harmonia  Sacra" 
was  their  best  kn(^\vn  work  ;  and  with- 
in the  last  year  or  two.  at  many  places 
in  the  valley,  "old-time"  all-day  sing- 
ings ha\e  been  held,  and  the  "Har- 
monia Sacra"  has  been  brought  forth, 
with  a  thousand  sweet  memories,  and 
used  with  throbbing  pulses  by  the 
singers  of  former  days. 

The  first  Germans  to  locate  in  the 
Shenandoah  \'alley  were  Lutherans, 
Mennonites,.  and  German  Reformed. 
These  sects,  esjiecially  the  first,  are 
still  strongly  reuresented.  Abbut  the 
middle  of  the  i8th  century  the  Mora- 
\ians  of  Pennsyhania  made  a  number 
of  missionary  journeys  through  the 
valley,  and  j^erhaps  established  a  few 
settlements ;  but  at  present  the  sect 
is  not  represented,  so  far  as  is  known 
to  the  writer.  About  the  same  time 
that  the  ^loravians  were  in  the  Val- 
ley, some  of  the  E])hrata  Brethren,  the 
mystical  sect  led  oft  from  the  Bun- 
kers  bv   Cf^nrad    Beissel    and    others. 


locatetl  at  Strasburg,  now  in  Shenan- 
doah County,  and  elsewhere.  The 
Strasburg  community  maintained  it- 
self for  a  number  of  years ;  but  the 
others   were  of  short  duration. 

About  the  time  of  the  Revolution 
the  Dunkers  began  to  come  in;  and 
they  now  have  their  strongholds  in 
Rockingham.  Augusta.  Shenandoah. 
Page,  and  adjacent  sections,  as  well 
as  in  Southwest  Virginia.  The  United 
I'rethren  began  to  establish  them- 
selves in  the  valley  early  m  the  19th 
century ;  and  they  have  numerous 
strong  churches  throughout  the  dis- 
trict to-day.  All  of  these  German 
sects,  for  the  most  part.  o])|)osed  sla- 
very. As  a  consequence,  the  propor- 
tion of  slaves  in  the  (.Terman  sections 
of  the  Valley  was  much  lower  than  in 
the  surrounding  sections,  east  and 
west.  The  quick  and  complete  re- 
covery of  the  Valle}'  from  the  almost 
unparalleled  devastation  it  sufiPered 
during  the  Civil  War  may  be  traced 
to  the  foregoing"  condition. 

Put  not  all  the  X'alley  Germans  are 
Lutherans.  Mennonites.  Reformed. 
Dunkers.  or  L^nited  Brethien.  From 
very  early  times  some  have  been  Epis- 
copalians and  Presbyterians.  In 
later  times  many  have  become  identi- 
fied with  the  Baptists  and  Methodists. 
Prol)ably  a  few^  of  the  early  Quakers 
in  the  Valley  w^ere  Germans ;  but  that 
sect  has  never  been  largely  represent- 
ed in  the  section. 

The  Valley  Germans  have  always 
been  a  growing  people,  and  they  have 
a  growing  history,  though  very  little 
of  it  as  3^et  has  been  \\-rittcn  or  pub- 
lished. They  have  had  an  im|:)ortant 
])art  in  all  of  the  great  mtnements  of 
their  section,  but  have  not  always  re- 
ceived the  credit  they  deserved.  No 
fact  in  their  progress  is  more  interest- 
ing or  significant  than  the  steady  ad- 
\ance  they  have  made  in  \>.inning"  for 
themscKes  their  due  share  in  the  pub- 
lic life  and  goxernmcnt  of  X^irginia 
and   the   Xation. 


POLITICAL  FACTS 


Addressed,  more  especially),  to  the 


German  Citizens  of  Bucks  County, 

AND  THEIR  DESCENDANTS: 

(BY  A  MEETING  HELD  AT  ROCK  HILL 
August  30.  1800). 


NOTE — The     follcwing    interesting     cam- 
paign    document    bears    testimony    to    the 
commanding    position    occupied   by    the  Ger- 
mans  in   Pennsylvania  a  century  and  more 
ago,   and   ilustrates   political   life   at  an   im- 
portant   point   in    our   country's   history,  the 
Presidential    election    of    1800.      Concerning 
this  campaign   Sharpless   in   his  "Two  Cen- 
turies   of    Pennsylvania   History    says: 
Nothing  could   exceed   the   excitement 
of   this    closely    contested    election,    and 
if   one   desi)airs   of   his    country    on    ac- 
count   of    the    dishonorable    jiolitics    of 
the    present    day    it    may    reassure    him' 
to    read    the    accounts    of    the    extrava- 
gant    and     indefensible     means     which 
were    uised,    not    only    in    Pennsylvania 
l)ut    elsewhere,    and    to    remember    that 
the   country   survived. 

The  document  was  a  broadside  17 14,  by 
22^/^  inches,  the  headlines,  spelling,  caj)- 
italizing  and  italics  of  which  are  repro- 
duced. 

RIENDS       and        Fellow 
Citizens : 

In  the  ])()litical  strus;- 
qles  of  Pennsylvania  each 
party  has  courted  your 
favor  and  soup^ht  your 
alliance.  In  fact,  yoti 
have  held  the  balance  of 
power  in  this  State,  for  many  years ; 
a  circumstance,  in  our  opinion,  as  for- 
tunate for  the  Commonwealth,  as  it 
is  honourable  for  you.  For  you  are 
not  more  res])ectal>le  l)y  your  numbers 
than  by  your  incorruptible  integrity. 
All  of  you  contribtiting'  to  the  public 
])urse.  and  few  of  you  drawing  on  it 
as    ofificers,    vmir    minds    are    luibiased. 


or  if  you  have  partialities,  that  are  all 
in  favor  of  liberty.  Some  of  you  have 
felt  the  iron  rod  Despotism,  in  the 
coimtry  from  which  you  take  your 
name.  Others  have  listened  with  hor- 
ror to  the  tale  of  their  heather's  suffer- 
ings, under  the  Despots  of  Germany, 
the  Aristocracy  of  that  Country.  Thus 
have  the  principles  of  Liberty  been 
interwoven  with  your  iiattu"e,  "grown 
with  your  growth  and  strengthened 
with  your  strength."  Hence  the 
I'riends  of  American  Freedom,  for 
thirty  years  past,  have  generally 
found  you  by  their  side ;  and  the 
change  of  men  and  measures,  now 
happily  progressing  in  this  state,  is 
chiefly  to  be  ])laced  to  your  account. 
If  a  few  Germans,  have  not  yet  with- 
drawn their  support  from  the  expiring 
faction,  it  must  be  owing;  ])artly  to 
that  misusiMciotis  confidence,  which  is 
the  characteristic  of  virtuous  minds; 
and  paVtly.  to  that  want  of  informa- 
tion. Avhich  habits  of  retirement,  and 
industry,  have  forbidden  them  to  ac- 
(|uire.  This  want,  will  be  easily  sup- 
l)lied  at  the  present  day:  a  da_v  when 
certain  meastires  of  government,  have 
alarmed  the  most  secure,  and  turned 
the  attention  of  all  to  political  enquir- 
ies. The  restdt  has  been  a  conviction, 
that  certain  men.  to  whom  America 
Iiad  committed  her  destines,  were  un- 
worthy the  confidence  reposed  in 
them  :   that    instead   of   consultinsf    the 


POLITICAL    FACTS 


pulilic  weal,  they  stnclied  only  their 
own  emolument.  So  <^eneral  has  this 
conviction  become,  that  we  fondly 
anticipate  the  time,  when  party  dis- 
tinctions will  be  done  away,  or  the 
only  ])arties  l)e  ;  the  men  who  pay,  im 
the  one  hand,  and  the  men  who  ex- 
pect or  receive  the  public  money  on 
the  other. 

At  this  auspicious  i)eriod.  we  ad- 
dress ourselves  with  peculiar  confi- 
dence, to  the  few  remaining'  Germans, 
who  have  not  yet  joined  their  breth- 
ren, in  applying  the  constitutional 
remedy  to  American  wrongs,  a^_change 
of  public  servants  by  a  Fair  and  Free 
election. 

When  the  subjects  of  the  day  were 
under  discussion,  some  of  you  have 
said.  "If  I  could  belie\e  that  these 
things  were  really  done  by  the  ruling 
party,  I  would  support  them  no 
longer." 

Suffer  us  then,  to  submit  to  you  a 
V^  few  plain  facts ;  facts  which  you  can 
\erif3-  yourselves,  if  you  will  take  the 
])ains ;  facts  which  we  dare  not  niis- 
rei)resent.  because  there  is  a  Sedition 
I  law :  facts  which  we  would  not  mis- 
represent, because  there  is  an  higher 
law,  the  Law  of  Truth; 'an  adherence 
to  which  is  the  best  policy,  as  well  as 
the  soundest  morality. 

A\'e  begin  with  a  leading  fact,  which 
bears  on  all  the  subsequent  facts.  The 
jjarty  opposed  to  us.  have  had  a  ma- 
jority in  the  different  departments  of 
the  general  government,  for  about 
four  3'ears.  Tn  this  state  also,  they 
have  had  free  course,  till  very  lately. 
Republicans  in  each  government, 
have  only  ser\ed  as  a  Lock-chain,  to 
check  the  rapidity  of  their  motion.  Tt 
follows  therefore,  that  the  legislative, 
executive  and  judicial  acts  of  this 
])eriod,  are  fairly  im])utable  to  the 
ruling  party. 

This  short  reign  of  Federalism  (for 
it  is  closing,  we  hope,  forever)  has 
been  marked  with  acts,  scarcely  cred- 
ible, in  the  history  of  a  Republican 
government. 
\y\]]   ])osterity  believe   it.  that  in   ad- 


dition lo  the  usual  i)eace  establish- 
ment, measures  were  now  taken  for 
raising  an  arm\'  of  One  Hundred  and 
tv/enty  thousand  men;  as  neariy  as 
can  be  com.)uted  from  the  numerous 
laws   authorising  the   same.^ 

Mad  the  men  been  actually  raised, 
the  whole  rexenue  of  the  United 
.Slates,  twice  told,  would  not  suffice 
for  their  su]>])ort.  lUit  the  expense  is 
not  the  greatest  evil  to  be  dreaded, 
from  such  a  mighty  mercenary  host, 
in   a   free  government. 

rians  were  now  formed  and  partly 
executed,  for  building  and  manning  a 
Heet.  to  in\()lve  us  in  the  wars  of 
Europe.  But  you  are  told,  that  the 
end  of  this  military  Apparatus,  was. 
to  prevent  war;  for  "the  true  way  to 
avoid  war.  is  to  be  always  prepared 
for  it."  We  doubt  the  truth  of  the 
maxim,  however  common.  We  ap- 
peal to  the  history  of  the  world, 
whether  the  nations  most  prepare<l 
for  war,  have  not  been  most  engaged 
in  it.  Raise  a  fleet  and  army;  you  \vU\ 
hardly  fail  to  employ  them.  Friends 
of  universal  peace.  We  are  your  breth- 
ren. We  are  for  peace  with  all  the 
world. 

The  ^IAT.URALIZATION  LAW 
t)f  '98  fixes  a  mark  on  this  period,  '4o 
distinguish  it  from  vulgar  time."  The 
Irish  and  Germans,  harrassed  with 
cruel  wars,  were  flying  for  shelter,  to 
this  land  of  peace  and  freedom.  Emi- 
grants from  these  countries  have  been 
the  firmest  friends  of  American  lib- 
erty; the  more  hated  and  dreaded, 
therefore,  by  some  men.  To  check 
their  increase  and  influence,  the  fol- 
lowing provisions  Avere  made.  of 
which  you  shall  judge.* 

A  foreigner,  within  forty-eight  hours 
after  his  arrival,  is  obliged  under  pain 
of  iine  and  imprisonment,  to  re- 
port his  arrival  at  a  certain  office  and 
receive  a  certificate  thereof.  At  the 
expiration   of  nine  years,   he   may  ap- 

1  See  Laws  of  the  U.  S.  Vol.  IV,  pp.  98.  113,  219,  489. 
•'>48.  rVolunteers  included  who  were  considered  as  reg-ii- 
lars.] 

2  Laws,  U.  S.  Vol.  IV..  p.  13.3. 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


ply  to  one  of  the  higher  Courts  and 
declare  his  intention  to  become  a  cit- 
zen  in  due  time.  Five  succeeding 
years,  he  must  continue  to  reside  in 
one  state,  or  he  loses  foot-hold  and 
slides  back.  At  the  end  of  this  term, 
he  may  apply  to  such  court,  to  be  ad- 
mitted to  the  rights  of  a  citizen.  Still 
the  golden  fruit  may  be  snatched 
from  his  mouth,  unless  he  can  prove 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  court,  not 
only  that  he  has  past  through  the 
foregoing  preparatory  process,  but 
that  he  has  been  of  good  morals,  and 
"well  disposed  to  the  good  order  and 
happiness  of  the  United  States,  that 
is  to  say,  a  good  Federalist,  as  the 
words  now  signify.  The  fees  for  the 
various  certificates  and  stamp  amount 
to  ten  dollars.  Lawyers'  fees,  for  con- 
ducting the  business,  must  be  at 
least  as  much  more.  Add  the  ex- 
penses of  the  party  and  his  witnesses, 
in  attending  the  several  courts,  and  it 
must  cost  him,  from  thirty  to  sixty 
dollars,  and  fourteen  years  slavery  to 
liecome  a  citizen. 

The  poor  will  be  forever  exclud- 
ed. The  unwary,  missing  a  step  in  the 
critical  process,  must  fail  to  rise  no 
more.  Thus  the  wretched  foreigner, 
must  bear  his  part  in  all  our  burdens, 
while  he  is  excluded  from  all  our  pri- 
vileges, as  freemen  ;  the  very  descrip- 
tion of  a  slave !  From  his  state  of  de- 
pression he  cannot  rise  to  the  hum- 
blest ofBce.  His  voice  will  not  even 
count  in  a  township  election.  He  is 
liable  to  be  inijjressed  by  the  tyrant  of 
tlie  ocean,  without  the  sorry  protec- 
tion afforded  to  the  American  citizen. 
He  may  l)e  claimed  by  his  former 
Master,  and  given  up  to  justice  or 
murder,  as  the  case  may  be.  Fellow- 
Citizens,  some  of  you  have  friends  in 
lMiroi)e,  whom  you  may  wish  to  see  in 
this  land  of  liberty.  Alas !  it  "is  no 
longer  a  land  of  liberty  for  them. 
"Hewers  of  wood,  and  drawers  of 
water"  must  they  be  for  fourteen 
years.  i)erhaps  for  life,  if  they  come 
here.  Warn  them  of  their  danger. 
Caution  them   not  to  apjiroach   the  in- 


hospitable shore.  Or  rather,  join  with 
us,  in  bringing  forward  men  who  will 
repeal   the   illiberal  act. 

TheBRITISH  TREATY,  though 
originating  before  the  period  we  have 
mentionecl,  was  the  act  of  the  same 
party.  It  was  intended  to  redress  our 
wrongs  in  trade,  and  provide  security 
for  our  commerce  in  future.  How  far 
it  has  answered  these  ends,  the  Mer- 
chants, and  Insurance  companies  of 
the  United  States,  can  tell.  'Tis  said, 
however,  to  have  given  rise  to  a  con- 
troversy, more  serious  and  awful,  than 
that  which  it  professed  to  settle.  Of- 
ficial information  on  this  head,  is  not 
to  be  expected.  The  execution  of  the 
treaty  is  with  its  friends,  atid  they  are 
not  fond  of  verifying  the  predictions 
of  its  enemies.  Btit  they  have  not.  to 
our  knowledge,  denied,  what  has  been 
commonly  reported,  as  follows.  The 
6th  article  provides,  that  five  commis- 
sioners, shall  ascertain  the  old  debts, 
due  by  American  citizens,  to  British 
subjects:  and  that  these  shall  be  fully 
paid.  Under  cok)ur  of  this  article, 
traitors,  who  joined  the  enemy,  dur- 
ing our  revohttionary  war,  claim  those 
estates  which  were  the  forfeit  of  their 
treason.  A  majority  of  the  commis- 
sioners, are  disposed  to  sanction  their 
claim — to  bind  the  United  States  to 
pay.  from  twenty,  to  fifty  millions  of 
dollars,  to  men  who  were  accessary  to 
the  destruction  of  more  property,  than 
their  estates  will  .compensate.  The 
commissioners  on  the  part  of  America, 
shuddering  at  the  consequence,  have 
withdrawn  from  the  board.  An  Am- 
bassador extra,  sent  to  the  court  of 
London,  to  deprecate  the  mighty  mis- 
chief, has  been  denied  an  audience. 
Thus,  having  refused  to  execute  the 
treaty  on  our  i")art,  we  must  expect 
that  Britain  will  refuse  to  execute  it 
on  her  part ;  perhaps  draw  the  sword, 
to  force  a  compliance  Avith  stipulation, 
which  we  certainly  did  not  mean  to 
make,  but  which  the  referees  we 
have  chosen,  declare  we  did  make. 

The  PUBLIC  EXPENDITURES. 
cannot   fail  to  attract  the  attention   uf 


POT.FTICAL    FACTS 


a  people,  whose  contributions  to  the 
Treasury,  are  jjenerally  extracted  from 
the  sweat  of  their  brow. 

A  repubHc  of  ten  years  old,  we  have 
plung-ed  into  the  extravagance,  and 
runious  funding  systems,  of  old  and 
corrupt  monarchies.  What  think  you 
of  nine  thousand  dollars,  to  furnish  an 
American  Ambassador,  for  appearin-.;; 
with  splendor  at  a  foreign  court?  and 
nine  thousand  more,  for  every  year  he 
is  em])loyed,  in  ])re])aring,  or  settling 
(juarrels  for  us?  A  fifth  part  (wnthin 
a  fraction)  of  the  whole  internal  du- 
ties, raised  in  the  L^nited  States,  is 
swallowed  up  by  the  collectors.^  The 
constitution  requires,  that  a  statement 
and  account  of  the  public  money,  shall 
be  published  from  time  to  time.  Such 
statements  ha\'e  been  made  ;  you  have 
seen  them ;  what  do  you  learn  from 
them?  We  can  answer  for  you; 
nothing  at  all.  Nay  one  thing  you  may 
learn  from  them;  namely,  that  our  fin- 
ancial system,  so  artfully  perplexed, 
dis;)lays  the  ingenuity  of  its  authors; 
but  recjuires  equal  ingenuity,  in  others, 
to  understand  it.  Flow  should  com- 
mon citizens,  comprehend  the  details 
of  it,  when  a  dispute  exists  at  this  mo- 
ment, respecting  the  extent  of  the 
public  debt;  and  men  of  the  first 
talents  differ  to  the  amount  of  ten 
millions  of  dollars?^  This  obscurity 
of  Treasury  accounts,  is  all  in  favor 
of  those  who  are  behind  the  scene; 
and  some  late  discoveries  show,  that 
there  are  men  who  avail  themselves  of 
the  privilege.  Happily  for  America  she 
possesses  a  few  honest  men,  who  have 
made  the  science  of  our  public  ac- 
counts, their  study.  Distinguished 
among  these,  is  the  author  of  View^s 
of  the  public  debt,  &c  of  the  United 
States,  lately  published.  The  author 
by  giving  his  name.^  makes  himself 
responsible  for  the  truth  of  his  posi- 
tions. His  facts  profess  to  be  deduced 
from  reports,  made  to  Congress,  by 
treasury  Oflficers ;  and  are  therefore 
entitled  to  the  fullest  credit.     Among 

3  See  views  of  public  debts,  etc..  p.  41. 

4  Vievs  of  the  public  debt.  p.  .3. 


a  variety  of  interesting  facts,  exhibit- 
ed by  this  author,  we  select  the  fol- 
lowing for  your  meditation,  ])revious 
to  the  ensuing  general   electicMi. 

Vast  sums  of  ])ublic  money  are  in- 
trusted to  agents,  contractors,  pay- 
masters, etc.  The  Treasury  statements 
do  not  inform  us,  save  in  a  few  in- 
stances, what  becomes  of  this  money;  ^ 
whether  it  is  applied  to  its  proper  ob- 
jects; and  what  part  of  it  remains  un- 
accounted for.  Some  accounts,  which 
lately  escaped  from  the  treasurer, 
without  consent  of  the  officers,  sug- 
gest a  reason  why  statements  of  the 
actual  expeditures  are  not  made.  Some 
of  these  depositaries  of  the  public 
treasury,  are  greatly  in  arrears. 

At  a  time  when  government  was 
borrowing  money  at  8  per  cent,  otie 
million  of  dollars  actually  received, 
was  lying  in  the  hands  of  collectors ; 
and  nearly  half  a  million  more,  per 
estimate,  in  the  hands  of  supervisors 
of  the  revenue. 

On  January  ist,  '98,  eigteen  collec- 
tors, out  for  office  owed  to  the  Treas- 
ury 221,  538  dollars  and  9  cents;  and 
of  these  collectors,  sixteen  had  been 
removed,  more  than  one  year.  Com- 
pare these  facts,  fellow  citizens,  and 
then  say,  is  it  uncharitable  to  suppose, 
that  from  one  to  two  millions,  of  the 
public  money,  is  constantly  employed 
by  public  men,  for  private  purposes? 
If  the  principal,  shall  be  finally  paid 
into  the  treasury,  the  interest  at  8  per 
cent,  is  a  loss  to  the  states,  and  a  gain 
to  the  officers,  of  about  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars  per  anum. 

From  the  same  luminous  work,  it 
appears,  that  the  hostile  measures, 
taken  by  our  government  against  the 
French  RepubHc,  will  cost  the  United  ' 
States,  eleven  millions  and  a  half  of 
dollars;  a  sum,  sufficient  to  defray  the 
whole  internal  expenses  of  the  govern- 
ment, or  civil  list,  even  at  the  pres- 
ent rate,  for  twenty  years.  Whether 
this  expense  was  conceived  to  be  nec- 
essary, to  the  defence  of  the  United 
States ;  or  whether  it  was  designed  by 
some  men,  for  the  gratification  of  the 

5  Gallatin. 


10 


V  THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


party;  to  increase  its  friends,  and 
crush  its  opponents,  we  will  not  deter- 
mine. To  answer  these  prodigious  de- 
mands, on  the  Treasury,  new  ways 
and  means  were  to  be  sought.  Bor- 
rowing was  a  happy  expedient,  as  it 
did  not  cause  the  people  to  feel  the 
burdens  preparing  for  them.  This 
being  insufficient  and  every  legiti- 
mate object  of  taxation  exhausted, 
stamps,  and  other  taxes  of  the  most 
odious  kind,  were  imposed. 

When  now  the  public  suffering  was 
at  the  height,  and  complaints  begin- 
ning to  break  forth,  the  SEDITION 
LAW  was  enacted,  to  check  their  pro- 
gress. A  free  press,  at  once  the  means 
and  indication  of  a  free  government, 
was  materially  affected  by  this  law. 
Private  character  should  be  sacred  and 
inviolable.  But  the  Official  conduct  of 
public,  responsible  agents,  is  a  fair 
subject  of  investigation,  and  the 
worthy  officer  has  nothing  to  fear 
from  the  scrutiny.  In  an  old  book,  of 
high  authority,  we  read,  that  "every 
one  that  doth  evil,  hateth  the  light, 
neither  cometh  he  to  the  light,  lest  his 
deeds  be  reproved."  Fellow-citizens, 
you  will  form  your  own  opinion  of 
those  officers,  who  intrench  them- 
selves, in  penal  statutes,  and  dare  not 
meet  their  opponents  in  the  open  field. 

The  terrors  of  this  law,  have  been 
sunk,  in  the  alarms  excited  by  an  at- 
tempt to  introduce,  not  by  the  Legis- 
lature of  the  vniion,  but  by  certain 
Judges,  an  undefined  common  law, 
locked  up  in  the  breasts  of  the  Judges, 
or  scattered  through  immense  folios 
Avhich  no  American  citizen  ever  read. 
What  man  can  walk  securely,  who  is 
•obliged  to  pass  blindfolded,  over  burn- 


ing plow-shares,  or  poisoned  dagger 
points?  What  avail  constitutions  for 
the  security  of  life,  liberty  and  pro- 
perty, if  all  may  be  forfeited,  by  the 
violation  of  a  Lew,  which  the  citizen 
knows  not,  and  cannot  know?  Fellow- 
citizens,  if  you  know  any  country  to 
which  these  observations  apply,  any 
Judges,  who  are  party  men,  and  meas- 
ure justice  by  the  varying  standard  of 
political  opinion,  you  will  perhaps 
think  what  it  would  not  be  prudent  for 
us  to  speak. 

Why  should  you  hear  any  more  of 
the  Alien  Law;  the  infractions  of  the 
Constitution ;  the  secret  plans,  for  in- 
troducing a  more  despotic  govern- 
ment ;  or  the  attempt  to  deprive  Penn- 
sylvania of  a  voice  in  the  election  of 
President?  If  the  political  facts  we 
have  stated  are  believed  by  you,  and 
we  firmly  believe  them  all,  and  invite 
you  to  examine  the  authorities  we 
have  cited  in  support  of  them ;  if  you 
believe  these  things,  you  must  join 
with  us,  in  raising  to  places  of  Public 
Trust,  the  Men  who  have  constanth' 
opposed  these  obnoxious  measures.  If 
these  do  not  immediately,  address 
themselves  to  discharge  the  Public 
debt,  to  lessen  the  expenses  of  govern- 
ment, to  cultivate  peace  with  all  na- 
tions ;  to  open  the  door  to  worthy  for- 
eigners, to  come  and  settle  our  for- 
ests, and  share  our  privileges;  we  pro- 
mise to  join  with  you,  in  continuing 
the  rotation  till  the  SOVEREIGNTY 
OF  THE  PEOPLE  SHALL  BE 
RESPECTED,  AND  THEIR  WILL 
OBEYED. 

THOMAS  LONG,  Chairman. 


11 


How  New  Year  is  Observed  by  the  Moravians 

By  Louisa  A.  Weitzel,  Lititz,  Pa. 


X  THEIR  manner  of  ob- 
serving New  Year  as  a 
church  festival  the  Mora- 
vians do  not  differ  as 
much  from  other  denom- 
inations as  in  their  man- 
ner of  observing  Christ- 
mas and  Easter.  However 
there  are  st)me  points  which  are  char- 
acteristic and  always  attract  stran- 
gers. As  in  my  first  article  on  Christ- 
mas I  still  confine  myself  to  Lititz  and 
to  my  personal  experiences  and  those 
of  my  oldest  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances. 

On  New  Year's  Eve  it  was  custo- 
mary to  hold  three  services  in  the 
church  with  an  intermission,  namely 
preaching  at  8  o'clock,  reading  of  the 
memorabilia  and  statistics  (an  elabor- 
ate review  of  the  year's  work)  at  lo 
o'clock  and  the  closing  services  at 
11.30  o'clock. 

Some  of  the  members  served  sugar 
cake  fa  raised  cake,  often  called  Mora- 
vian cake,  made  according  to  a  special 
recipe)  and  coffee  at  their  homes  dur- 
ing the  first  intermission. 

As  far  back  as  I  can  remember  we 
bad  only  two  services,  German  preach- 
ing at  8  o'clock  and  a'n  English  ad- 
dress at  II  o'clock,  while  the  memora- 
bilia were  read  on  the  evening  of  New 
Year's  Day.  This  change  was  made 
because  on  special  occasions  the 
church  was  crowded  with  country 
people  of  all  denominations  or  none 
and  as  the  memorabilia  were  of  no  in- 
terest to  nonMoravians  it  was  thought 
best  to  communicate  them  in  a  con- 
gregational meeting  .The  interval  be- 
tween the  two  services  was  taken  up 
by  the  young  people  especially  in  go- 
ing to  see  Christmas  trees,  this  being 
usually  the  last  night  when  they  were 
illuminated  for  the  benefit  of  sight- 
seers. At  present  the  first  service, 
which  finally  gave  place  to  an  English 
'^ermon.    has     also    been    discontinued 


and  the  ycxing  people  congregate  at 
one  another's  homes,  and  play  games 
until  the  bell  rings  for  the  watch  night 
service. 

The  last  named  was  and  is  the  most 
attractive  service  and  always  brought 
the  crowd.  The  pastor  usually  de- 
livers a  very  stirring  address  which 
is  invariably  interrupted  as  the  clock- 
in  the  steeple  strikes  the  first  stroke  of 
12  with  a  blast  of  horns  like  the 
trump  of  the  last  judgment.  The  sea- 
son, the  hour  and  the  thrilling  words 
of  the  preacher,  broken  off  short,  pro- 
duce a  weird  and  solemn  effect  upon 
the  audience.  These  horns  are  trom- 
bones, played  usually  by  a  band  of 
six  men,  specially  trained  for  this  pur- 
pose. Among  the  Moravians  trom- 
bones are  used  on  various  occasions, 
to  announce  the  death  of  members,  at 
funerals,  lovefeasts.  communion  ser- 
vices, on  New  Year's  Eve  and  on 
Great  Sabbath  before  Easter.  As  the 
horns  strike  up  the  tune  of  "Nun  dan- 
ket  Alle  Gott"  ("Now  thank  we  all 
our  God")  the  whole  congregation 
rises  and  sings  the  hymn  to  their  ac- 
companiment. At  the  conclusion  of 
the  hvmn  all  kneel  and  the  pastor 
leads  in  prayer.  Since  the  erection  of 
the  Mary  Dixon  Memorial  Chapel  at 
Linden  Hall  Seminary,  1883-5  with  its 
three  bells  the  Chapel  bells  are  also 
rung  at  midnight. 

After  the  congregation  arises  the 
minister  reads  the  texts  for  New 
Year's  Day  from  the  Moravian  text 
book  and  the  congregation  sings  an- 
other hymn   and   is   dismissed. 

The  Moravians  always  went 
quietly  to  their  homes  after  the  last 
service,  but  in  time  past  there  Avas  a 
good  deal  of  carousing  by  the  country 
people  which  it  seems  the  former 
could  not  altogether  prevent.  The 
young  men  also  had  a  habit  of  stand- 
ing around  the  church  doors  and  on 
the    stairs    within    on    Christmas    and 


12 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Xew  Year's  Eve.  cracking  their 
whips  and  making  themselves  other- 
wise offensive.  This,  it  is  needless  to 
say,  has  ceased.  They  still  come  but 
behave   like  gentlemen. 

On  New  Year's  Day  a  sermon  is 
jjreached  at  lo  a.  m.  and  the  day  is 
ol)served  as  a  holiday.  In  the  even- 
ing, as  mentioned  before,  the  pastor 
reads    the    memorabilia    and    statistics. 


interspersed  with  the  singing  of 
hymns.  Going  to  see  Christmas  trees, 
was  also  formerly  part  of  the  T;»ro- 
gram  on  New  Year's  Day  and  family 
dinners  and  reunions  were  and  are 
still  customary,  especiall}^  if  for  some 
reason  they  do  not  take  place  on 
Christmas  Day.  The  old  Moravians 
have  not  yet  abandoned  the  habit  of 
making:  New  Year's   calls. 


The  Blessed  Memory  of  Henry  Harbaugh' 
By  Jos.  H.  Dubbs,  D.  D.,  LL.  D. 


I 


li  li  li 


T  IS  well  at  times  to  re- 
call the  memory  of  the 
great  and  good  men  who 
have  gone  before  us  and 

have    hardened    the    path 

\flfe7  for   our   feet.     To   Henry 

^^  Harbaugh,       more       than 

any  other  single  man, 
the  Pennsylvania  -  German  Society 
owes  reverence,  for  he  was  in  many 
respects  its  pioneer.  I,  therefore  es- 
teem it  a  privilege  to  bring  my  humble 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  a  man  whom 
I  knew  and  loved,  and  who  deserves 
to  be  called  the  typical  Pennsylvania- 
German. 

Some  time  ago  I  stood  on  the 
porch  of  the  Blue  Mountain  House  at 
Pen-Mar,  almost  on  the  line  between 
I'ennsylvania  and  Maryland,  looking 
(Unvn  u])on  one  of  the  finest  land- 
scapes in  the  world.  A  friend  at  my 
side  reminded  me  that,  almost  at  my 
feet,  I  could  see  an  old-fashioned  farm- 
house which  was  the  birthplace  of 
Henry  Harbaugh.  Near  at  hand 
flashed  the  streamlet  on  whose  banks 
once  stood  the  celebrated  Schulhaus 
an  der  Krick.  The  schoolhouse  is  no 
longer  there — all  that  is  left  is  said  to 
be  the  stump  of  the  old  whiteoak  tree 
that  stood  at  the  door.  You  remember 
I  iarbaugh   says : 

■'Der   Weisseech   steht   noch   an   der   Dhier, 

Macht    Schatte    iwer's    Dach ; 
Die   Trauwerank   is   a"   noch    griie, 
Und's   Amschelnescht— guck  just   mol   hie — 

Was   is   es   doch    en    SachI" 


This  was  the  scene  which  Har- 
baugh. bore  with  him  wherever  he 
went;  it  was  the  source  of  constant 
pain  and  pleasure.  He  says  in  his  own 
version  of  one  of  his  Pennsylvania- 
German  poems : 

"Both  joy  and   sorrow   fill   my   heart, 
E'en  when  I  smile  the  tears  will   start, 
Alas,   how   strange    I    feel." 

He  describes  it  in  his  lecture  on 
"The  Home  Feeling" ;  it  was  the 
theme  of  "Haemweh,"  liis  ■Sweetest 
poem.  Once  a  year,  he  tells  us,  he 
visited  the  old  home,  though  in  later 
years  there  were  but  few  to  bid  him 
welcome.     How  sadly  he  sings  : 

"  'Sis  nimmie  haem  wie's  eemol  wor, 
Und    Kann's    a'    nimmie    Sei'; 
Was   naus   mit   unsere   Eltere    geht 
Kummt    ewig    nimme    nei'." 

Did  I  hear  a  whis])er  that  T  ought 
to  render  these  quotatit)ns  in  an  intel- 
ligible language?  I  should  be  sorry  if 
any  one  failed  to  a])preciate  these 
gems  of  song;  but  after  all  this  matter 
of  talking  English  on  such  occasions 
as  the  present  is,  as  Harbaugh  might 
have  said,  "All  humbuck."  \Vhv  did 
we  even  begin   it,  anyway? 

*A  response  to  a  sentiment  offered  at 
the  banquet  of  the  Pennsylvania-German 
Society,  Lancaster,  November  6,  1908,  in 
honor  of  Henry  Harbaugh,  "who  gave  to 
Pennsylvania-German  literature  a  local 
habitation   and    a   name." 


THE   BLESSED  MEMORY   OF   HENRY   HARBAUGH 


13 


llarbaui^h's  early  surroundings  were 
'  devout  but  not  intellectual.  He  was 
the  tenth  child  of  a  Pennsylvania  - 
German  farmer;  his  people  were  all 
plain  and  unpretentious.  His  early 
instruction  was  such  as  the  neighbor- 
ing schoolhouse  afforded,  and  from  its 
deficiencies  he  suffered  all  his  life.  In 
his  biography  he  is  represented  as 
rather  slow  in  the  acquisition  of  knowl- 
edg'e ;  but  there  must  have  l:)een 
something-  that  distinguished  him 
from  his  fellows.  One  day  the  Rev- 
erend Frederick  A.  Scholl,  of  Green- 
castle,  came  to  his  father's  house ;  and 
as  the  boys  were  standing-  around  him. 
he  laid  his  hands  on  Henry's  head  and 
said:  "This  boy  must  become  a  min- 
ister." To  his  mystical  nature  the 
words  came  as  a  message  from  heaven. 
P'rom  that  moment  he  never  doubted 
with  regard  to  the  main  purpose  of 
his  life ;  but  as  he  grew  older  he 
found  ol^stacles  that  seemed  insur- 
mountable. At  nineteen  he  went 
west  to  seek  his  fortune ;  learned  the 
trade  of  a  carpenter  and  mill-wright ; 
worked  hard  all  day,  but  at  night 
while  his  associates  were  playing 
cards  he  sat  in  a  bolt-chest  and  stud- 
ied Latin  grammar.  When  he  was 
ready  he  went  to  Mercersburg,  with 
a  few  dollars  in  his  pocket,  and  enter- 
ed   Marshall   college. 

He  did  not  at  once  create  a  favor- 
able impression — he  was  older  than 
the  other  students,  and  his  hands 
were  hardened  by  toil  —  even  his 
teachers  did  not  suppose  that  he  pos- 
sessed extraordinary  talents.  There 
is  a  tradition  that  when  for  the  first 
time  he  attended  a  recitation,  he 
stumbled  as  he  entered  the  room 
and  fell  full  length  upon  the  floor. 
.A  few  days  later  he  said  in  a  letter: 
"This  thing  of  studying  Greek  is 
harder   than    splitting   logs." 

In  those  days  there  was  intense 
ri\a]ry  between  the  literary  societies 
<>t  the  college,  and  each  made  stren- 
uous efforts  to  secure  the  new  stu- 
dents. The  Diagnothian  Society,  of 
which  you  and  I,  Mr.  Toastmaster 
(Mr.    Hensel)    are    members,   was   un- 


fortunately represented  as  inclined  to 
fast  living.  Harbaugh  was  told  that 
the  Diagnothians  had  become  .so 
worldly  that  they  no  longer  had  a 
member  who  was  willing  to  open  the 
meetings  with  prayer.  "Ah !"  he  ex- 
claimed, "  that  is  the  society  for  me. 
If  they  are  that  kind  of  fellows,  I 
want  to  pray  with  them  and  for  them." 
So  Harbaugh  became  a  Diagnothian. 
One  day  when  he  was  appointed  to 
read  an  essay  he  surprised  the  society 
by  presenting  an  original  poem, which 
was  at  once  recognized  as  possessing 
a  high  order  of  excellence.  Encourag- 
ed by  its  reception  the  author  began 
to  contribute  to  various  periodicals, 
and  I  am  told  that  upwards  of  fifty  of 
these  early  poems  have  been  identi- 
fied. In  Whittier's  phrase,  they  were 
"dull,  doubtless,  but  with  here  and 
there  a  flash."  At  any  rate,  it  be- 
came evident  that  the  "ugly  duck  " 
was  developing  into  a  swan. 

Without  completing  his  college 
course,  Harbaugh  entered  the  Theo- 
logical Seminary  and  in  due  time  was 
ordained  a  minister.  He  soon  became 
distinguished  as  a  preacher.  His  ser- 
mons were  always  thoughful  but 
clear  and  simple.  He  was  gifted  with 
a  deep,  melodious  voice,  and  some 
one  said  that  his  preaching  sounded 
like  the  waves  of  the  ocean  beating 
upon  the  shore.  Successively  he  hekl 
pastorates  at  Lewisburg,  Lancaster 
and  Lebanon,  concluding  his  career  in 
1867,  aged  fifty  years,  as  professor  in 
the  Theological  Seminary  at  Mercers- 
burg. 

It  w^as  while  he  was  pastor  at 
Lewisburg  that  Harbaugh  began  the 
publication  of  The  Guardian,  an  un- 
denominational magazine,  devoted  to 
the  best  interests  of  young  men  and 
women.  He  had  few  subscribers  and 
very  little  money.  Indeed,  he  remain- 
ed poor  all  his  life,  having  come  to  the 
conclusi(^n  as  he  said,  that  "it  would 
not  nay  to  make  money."  He  found- 
ed The  Guardian  because  he  was  con- 
vinced that  the  people  of  Penn.syl- 
vania  needed  more  culture,  and  that  it 
had  better  be  conveyed  to  them   from 


14 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


within  than  without.  For  sixteen 
years  he  g-ave  his  best  thought  to  this 
magazine,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to 
say  that  The  Guardian  made  Dr.  Har- 
baugh. 

It  was  here  in  Lancaster  that  I  first 
made  Dr.  Harbaugh's  acquaintance. 
I  besides  working  Hke  a  giant  in  other 
lines  he  found  time  to  devote  a  great 
(leal  of  attention  to  the  students  of  the 
college.  He  visited  them  in  their 
rooms,  and  cultivated  in  them  a  cer- 
tain confidence  which  led  to  higher 
things.  One  day  he  came  to  my  room 
and  took  his  seat  at  my  table.  He  had 
heard  somewhere  that  I  had  written 
some  trifles  for  publication,  so  he 
said  abruptly :  "I  want  to  see  your 
])ort-folio;  perhaps  I  can  find  some- 
thing that  will  be  suitable  for  The 
Guardian.  In  a  few  minutes  he  found 
what  he  wanted,  and  put  it  in  his 
])ocket  without^  formal  permission; 
then  he  turned  to  me  and  said :  "T 
want  you  to  keep  on  writing.  Do  not 
write  for  fame,  for  that  is  vain,  if  not 
wicked ;  and  do  not  write  for  money, 
tor  you  will  probably  be  disappointed; 
but  write  for  the  advancement  of  your 
own  people,  for  that  is  acceptable  to 
God." 

Here  I  think  ^ve  have  the  key  to 
Dr.  Harbaugh's  labors  and  success. 
It  was  the  home-feeling — the  love  of 
his  people —  that  led  him  to  labor  so 
mightily  in  their  behalf.  It  was  this 
sentiment  that  led  him  to  write  not 
only  the  "Annals  of  the  Harbaugh 
Famil}-,"  but  the  "Fife  of  Schlatter" 
and  the  "Fathers  of  the  Reformed 
("hurch."  He  was  convinced  that  pas- 
tors and  people  needed  to  think  more 
])rofoundly,  so  b}^  intense  study  he  be- 
came a  philosopher  in  order  to  guide 
them  ;  and  we  have  the  authority  of 
Dr.  Schaff  for  saying  that  he  was  one 
of  the  ablest  thinkers  in  the  land.  He 
loved  the  faith  of  his  fathers,  but  also 
recognized  the  fact  that  in  many 
places  it  had  become  hard  and  even 
fossilized;  so  he  wrote  his  popular 
volumes   on    the   Heavenly   Home,   be- 


sides a  number  of  devotional  works. 
To  enrich  the  worship  of  his  people 
he  became  the  author  of  the  hymns 
which  are  found  in  all  the  hymn- 
books  of  which  the  best — as  most 
fully  expressive  of  his  faith  —  is 
"  Jesus,  I  live  to  Thee."  Last  of  all 
he  took  up  our  home-life,  and  pro- 
duced the  exquisite  Pennsylvania- 
German  lyrics,  which  still  remain  the 
most  complete  expression  of  the  beau- 
ties of  our  vernacular. 

Dr.  Harbaugh  was  a  man  of  strong 
convictions,  and  never  hesitated  to 
express  them.  Fle  took  an  active  part 
in  all  the  great  controversies  of  the 
day.  In  his  long  fight  against  Slavery. 
Intemperance  and  other  evils,  he  may 
sometimes  have  used  words  which 
might  better  have  remained  unspoken. 
I  once  heard  him  preach  a  sermon  on 
the  text,  "So  fight  I^  not  as  one  that 
beateth  the  air,"  during  which  it  oc- 
curred to  me  that  he  must  have  beat- 
en his  enemies  black  and  blue.  He 
was  as  brave  as  a  lion,  but  could  be  as 
tender  as  a  loving  mother.  He  was 
always  cheerful,  and  I  have  never  met 
another  man  who  could  relate  so 
many  humorous  stories.  In  brief,  he 
hated  cant  and  pretence  in  all  their 
forms  ;  and  though  profoundly  humble 
it  might  have  been  said  of  him.  as  was 
said  of  another,  that  he  never  feared 
the  face  of  man. 

Dr.  Harbaugh's  faith  was  unwaver- 
ing and  joyous  to  the  end.  On  his 
death-bed  some  one  inquired  concern- 
ing his  anticipations  of  the  world  to 
come,  and  he  replied  :  "I  attended  to 
all  that  long  ago,  and  am  safe  in  my 
Father's  hands." 

It  is  well,  as  we  have  said,  to  call 
to  mind  the  labors  and  triumphs  of 
those  who  have  gone  before  us.  Few 
of  the  present  generation  may  be  able 
to  accomplish  as  much  as  Dr.  Har- 
baugh ;  but  it  is  eminently  proper  that 
this  assembly,  which  represents  in  a 
peculiar  sense  the  people  whom  he 
was  proud  to  call  his  own.  should  not 
fail   to  do  honor  to  his  memory. 


lo 


Salem  Church,  Monroe  County,  Pa. 

By  Rev.  A.  C.  Wuchter.  Gilbert,  Pa. 


"WECHQUETANK."     ITS    EARLIEST 
HISTORY 


MONG  the  hills  and  dales 
of  Monroe  County,  Pa., 
no  lovelier  spot  can  be 
found  than  that  section 
known  as  Pleasant  Val- 
ley. In  historic  interest 
it  occupies  a  ])rominent 
place.  It  lies  within  the 
hounds  of  the  famous  "Walking-  Pur- 
chase" of  1737;  an  event  which  justly 
aroused  the  anger  of  the  Indians  and 
resulted  eighteen  years  later,  in  the 
massacre  of  many  of  the  early  settlers. 
Within  sight  of  this  church  stood  an 
Indian  village,  called  Wechquetank, 
the  home  of  CaptaTn  Harris,  a  noted 
Delaware  Chief.  The  word  Wechque- 
tank signifies  in  the  Delaware  tongue 
a  species  of  willow  which  grows  abun- 
dantly along  the  creek  nearby. 

Cai)t.  Harris  had  six  sons :  Teed}^- 
uscung,  Capt.  John,  young  Capt.  Har- 
ris, Tom,  Joe  and  Sam  Evans.  Teedy- 
nscung  became  the  noted  chieftain  of 
the  Delaware  Indians  of  this  section, 
who  afterwards  planned  the  aggres- 
sive campaign  against  the  white  set- 
tlers along  the  Blue  Mountains.  He 
was  baptized  at  Gnadenhutten,  (Le- 
highton),  March  12,  1750,  by  the 
Moravian  Bishop  Cammerhofif,  when 
he  received  the  name  of  Gideon. 

Bishop  CammerhofT  wrote  in  his 
diary:  "Today  I  baptized  Teedyus- 
cung,  a  pre-eminently  great  sinner." 
In  spite  of  his  ba))tism,  Teedyuscung 
remained  a  great  sinner.  Through  his 
instigation  his  minions  fell  upon 
Gnadenhuetten.  November  24,  1755, 
and  destroyed  the  place,  killing-  and 
burning  the  defenseless  dwellers 
along  the  Mahoning.  His  baptism 
had  thrown  a  halo  of  sanctity  over  the 
place.  His  recorded  speeches  made  at 
Easton.  1757-58,  give  proof  that,  like 
Logan  and  Tecumsch,  he  was  endow- 


ed with  remarkable  powers  of  mind. 
He  was  burned  to  death  at  Wyoming, 
.\])ril  19,  1763.  Some  of  his  Indian 
enemies  came  to  his  place  for  a  few 
days  and  freely  distributing  liquor  set 
fire  to  his  lodge  while  he  lay  in  a 
drunken  stupor.  Of  the  other  sons  of 
Captain  Harris  little  need  be  said. 
Capt.  John  was  chief  of  a  Delaware 
village  where  Nazareth  now  stands. 
Of  Sam  Evans  it  is  reported  that 
when  he  visited  his  relatives  at  Wech- 
quetank it  was  necessary  to  make  an 
investigation  lest  rum  had  been  smug- 
gled into  the  mission  station. 

THE  HOETH  FAMILY  AND  THE  FRENCH 
AND    INDIAN    WAR 

Rev.  Eugene  Leibert  states  in  his 
sketch  of  Wechquetank  that  in  1750 
some  members  of  the  Moravian 
Church  in  Philadelphia  purchased 
land  here  and  that  at  least  two  fam- 
ilies soon  after  located  upon  their  pro- 
perties, viz :  Frederick  floeth  and 
Philip  Serfass.  Hoeth  came  from 
Zweibriicken,  Germany,  in  1748.  He 
set  out  from  Philadelphia,  Nov.  13, 
1750.  His  tract  contained  over  1300 
acres.  In  1753  Christian  Boemper, 
of  Bethlehem,  married  one  of  Hoeth's 
daughters  and  settled  on  his  tract  of 
500  acres,  one-half  mile  from  his 
father-in-law.  In  1754  Philip  Serfass 
came  from  Philadelphia  and  settled 
nearby.  Hoeth  must  have  been  a  man 
of  means,  for,  besides  his  house  and 
stables,  he  erected  a  grist  and  saw 
mill,  as  well  as  a  blacksmith  shop. 
The  men  who  operated  these  lived  in 
separate  dwellings  near  his  own.  The 
intended  settling  of  these  men  "be- 
yond the  mountains"  was  at  first  dis- 
approved of  by  the  Moravian  Church 
authorities  at  Philadelphia.  Hoeth, 
however,  gave  a  lovefeast  as  a  fare- 
well to  the  whole  congregation  on  the 
Siuulay       preceding      his        departure. 


16 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Hoeth's  daughter,  Marianna,  in  her 
autobiography,  describes  her  father  as 
a  pious  and  God  fearing  man,  whose 
spiritual  concern  for  his  family  first 
induced  him  to  emigrate  to  America 
and  that  the  same  pious  resolution 
moved  him  to  seek  a  home  in  the  wil- 
derness, finding  even  Philadelphia  not 
a  safe  place  to  rear  his  family. 

Not  long  were  they  permitted  to  en- 
joy the  seclusion  of  their  new  found 
home,  for  on  the  tenth  of  December, 
1755,  sixteen  days  after  the  massacre 
at  Gnadenhuetten,  a  band  of  Indians 
fell  upon  the  family  while  at  supper. 
Mr.  fioeth,  his  wife,  who  was  brutally 
mutilated,  and  a  little  daughter,  as 
well  as  another  girl  and  two  unarmed 
men  were  killed  and  scalped.  Three 
of  Hoeth's  daughters,  as  well  as  the 
wife  and  two  daughters  of  Heiss,  the 
blacksmith,  were  taken  prisoners.  One 
Indian  was  killed  by  Heiss  who  es- 
caped. All  the  buildings,  together 
with  those  of  Boemper,  were  burned 
to  the  ground.  Boemper,  with  his 
family,  fled  to  Bethlehem.  Philip  Ser- 
fass.  and  his  family,  escaped  to  Naz- 
areth. He  returned  afterwards  and 
died  in  1786.  A  family  by  the  name 
of  Keiser,  was  also  murdered  not  far 
from  the  Monroe  Shupp  farm.  John 
Michael  Hute,  a  mill  apprentice,  es- 
caped by  way  of  the  tail  race,  and  two 
days  after  made  a  deposition  of  the 
murder  before  \Mlliam  Parsons,  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  at  Easton. 

December  14,  1755,  Captains  Doll 
and  Jennings  (of  Walking  Purchase 
fame)  came  to  look  after  and  bury  the 
dead.  January  15,  1756,  William  C. 
Reichel  reports  in  "Friedenthal"'  that 
a  company  of  refugees  set  out  to  look 
after  their  farms  and  cattle,  among 
them  Chr.  Boemper,  the  son-in-law  of 
Hoeth.  The  party,  escorted  by  some 
soldiers  from  Capt.  Trump's  Com- 
pany, then  stationed  at  Fort  Hamil- 
ton (Stroudsburg),  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Indians  near  the  Mill.  The 
killed  were  Chr.  Boemper,  Feltv 
Hold,  Michael  PTold.  Lawrence  Kun- 
kle  and  four  soldiers. 

January    25,     1756,     Benj.     Franklin 


wrote  to  Gov.  Morris  that  he  would 
erect  a  fort  at  "Surfoss."  This  was 
Fort  Norris,  about  two  miles  from 
here.  It  was  named  after  Isaac  Nor- 
ris. who  ordered  the  inscription :  Pro- 
claim lil:)erty,  etc.,  to  be  put  on  the 
-Old  Liberty  Bell"  in  Philadelphia. 

January  29,  1756,  about  four  hun- 
dred refugees  were  billeted  at  Naz- 
areth and  other  Moravian  settlments 
from  Contended  (?)  Valley,  McMic- 
hael's  Creek  and  Dansbury  (East 
Stroudsburg).  Among  these  were 
the  Eisemans,  Geisleys,  Hecks,  Hes- 
ses,  Heisses,  Heimans,  Hofifmans. 
Huths,  Kunkles,  Schulses,  Serfasses. 
Sylvases  and  Weisers.  Among  those 
who  received  aid  in  i755-'56  from  con- 
tributions sent  to  the  Moravian  settle- 
ments for  distribution  w^e  find  the  fol- 
lowing names  from  these  sections : 
Serfass,  Hoeth,  Costenbader,  Kunkle. 
Staley,  Schrupper,  Weiser.  Andre. 
Keenz,  Keller,  Segle,  etc. 

June  23,  1756,  James  Young,  com- 
missary, passed  through  this  place 
stopping'  at  Fort  Norris,  on  his  way 
from  Fort  Allen  to  Fort  Hamilton, 
stopping  at  Bozzart's  for  the  night. 
One  name  of  the  early  settlers  not  yet 
mentioned  is  that  of  the  Christman 
famil3^  Nov.  9,  1756,  in  a  deposition 
made  at  Easton.  Leonard  Weeser 
states  that  he  saw  at  Diahoga  while 
a  prisoner  amongst  the  Indians,  a  boy 
of  Henry  Christman.  from  near  Fort 
Xorris.  Stephen  Hawk,  an  aged  mem- 
ber of  this  congregation,  remembers 
seeing  this  same  person  as  well  as 
some  incidents  he  related  of  his  cap- 
tivity. A  companion  by  the  name  of 
Correll.  taken  at  the  same  time,  never 
returned.  They  were  captured  while 
riding  through  the  creek  at  Little 
Gap. 

These  facts  give  evidence  that  there 
was  a  considerable  sprinkling  of  set- 
tlers throughout  this  section  at  a  very 
early  date.  Already  in  1794  a  petition 
was  made  by  the  inhabitants  north  of 
the  Blue  Mountains  for  a  new  county. 
In  the  petition  submitted,  it  is  stated 
that  upwards  of  300  persons  lived  in 
remote   parts   who   ought    to    be    tax- 


SALEM   CHURCH,   MONROE   COUNTY,   PA. 


r 


ables  and   whi)  had   so   far   never   per- 
formed  an}'    military   service. 

W  lien  Cien.  Snllivan's  army  return- 
ed from  W'yomini^"  in  1779.  his  wagon 
train,  instead  of  following  the  main 
army,  returned  from  near  Stoddarts- 
\-ille  through  this  place  by  w^ay  of  the 
■'()ld  Shupp  Fxoad"  on  to  Sciota 
where  Sulli\'an   awaited  them. 

WECHQUETANK    AS    A    MORAVIAN    MIS- 
SION   STATION 

Count  Zinzendorf,  on  his  first  jour- 
ney of  inspection  among  the  red  men 
came  to  this  place  in  1742.  lie  left 
l>ethlehem  with  six  brethren  and  two 
sisters,  one  his  daughter,  lleiiigna, 
then  seventeen  years  old,  and  an  In- 
dian interjireter.  He  reached  this 
place  July  2"].  The  missionaries  Sey- 
fert.  Xitschman  and  Seidel  were  here 
in  October.  1743,  followed  by  Bishop 
M.  de  Watteville.  in  1748.  Others 
ministered  to  the  wants  of  the  set- 
tlers up  to  the  time  of  the  Hoeth  mas- 
sacre. For  four  or  five  years  after  this 
the  settlment  remained  a  waste, weeds 
and  brambles  covering  the  once  culti- 
\ated  fields  around  the  Hoeth  and 
IJoemper  homesteads. 

In  1760  the  Moravian  authorities  re- 
solved to  establish  a  settlement  here 
for  the  Indian  converts  from  the  Ma- 
honing, at  that  time  located  near 
liethlehem  and  Xazareth.  According- 
1\-  the  Hoeth  and  Boemper  properties, 
nearh'  1400  acres  in  extent  were  pur- 
chased from  the  administrator.  April 
2~^.  1760.  Joachim  Senseman  and  John 
Joseph  Bull,  otherwise  Shebosh,  ar- 
rived with  their  company  of  Indians. 
The  latter  spent  the  night  along  a 
fence  left  standing  on  Hoeth's  place, 
whilst  the  missionaries  went  to 
Boemper's  place,  about  half  a  mile 
further  north,  to  put  u])  their  horses 
for  the  night.  The  Indians  next 
morning  killed  two  deer  providing 
fresh  meat  for  several  days.  Dwel- 
lings w^ere  erected  and  the  logs  from 
lioemper's  spring  house  were  used  in 
the  erection  of  a  meeting  house  which 
was  dedicated  June  26  by  Martin 
Mack.  who.  with  his  wife,  arrived  the 


exening  before.  .Already,  June  13. 
Uisho)  S  iaiigenberg  and  l>ro.  John  J. 
.Schmick.  with  their  wives,  \isited  the 
l)lace.  ins,)ecting  the  graxeyard  and 
the  difi'erent  sites  chosen  for  building 
purposes.  The  next  day  Bishop 
.*>  >angenberg  preached,  when  he  re- 
ceixed  into  church  fellowship  the 
W  idow  l"jumy.  a  half  sister  of  Teed- 
yuscung.  This  was  followed  by  the 
Ldd's  .Sui)per.  the  first  ever  held  in 
this   place. 

July  ly.  1760.  Tobias,  an  Indian 
1)  )\-,  thirteen  years  old,  died  and  on 
the  2(jth  the  graveyard  was  staked  off. 
The  funeral  and  dedication  took  place 
in  the  evening.  Four  Indians  carried 
the  body  to  the  grave.  The  custom  of 
holding  early  morning  services  every 
Easterday  in  Chapel  and  graveyard 
were  observed.  This  graveyard  seems 
to  have  been  used  as  late  as  1842.  Rev. 
Decker,  in  a  communication,  dated 
March  21.  1848.  published  in  "Die 
Biene,"  a  bi-weekly  paper  issued  at 
Bethlehem,  writes:  "Not  far  from 
where  Hoeth's  house  stood  lies  the 
old  graveyard,  which,  alas,  is  in  the 
same  neglected  condition  as  that  at 
Gnadenhuetten.  F'ences  are  tumbling- 
down,  thorns  and  thistles  overgrow 
the  graves,  and  cattle  wonder  about 
therein  at  will.  About  six  years  ago 
I  buried  the  aged  widows  of  George 
Huth  in  the  Old  Hernnhuter  grave- 
yard." This  was  the  sister-in-law  of 
Adam  Huth,  who  lost  an  arm  in  the 
fight  with  the  Indians  when  Christian 
Boemper  was   killed. 

The  mission  w^ork  of  the  Brethren 
was  not  allowed  to  prosper  lofig.  The 
breaking  out  of  hostilities  in  1763 
obliged  them  to  withdraw.  Aroused 
by  the  atrocities  committed  here  and 
there,  the  border  settlers  threatened 
to  blot  out  the  "  Moravian  Indians,  " 
as  they  were  called,  presuming  that 
they  were  in  league  with  the  enemy. 
Prominent  among  those  who  threaten- 
ed was  the  Scotch-Irish  element  be- 
yond the  Blue  Alountain.  August  20. 
1763.  Zacharias,  his  wife  and  little 
child,  and  Zippora,  Christian  Indians 
from       "\^'echquetank.      were      cruelly 


18 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


murdered  by  drunken  soldiers  near 
Lehigh  Gap  while  on  their  way  to 
Long  Island,  an  Indian  village  on  the 
Susquehanna.  Zacharias  had  four 
brothers  who  lived  here  and  afraid 
they  would  wreak  vengeance  three 
different  parties  of  militia  came  to 
destroy  the  village.  With  great  dififi- 
culty  the  missionaries  prevented  a 
disaster. 

October  9,  1763,  after  the  murder 
of  John  Stenton  and  Capt.  Wetter- 
holt,  another  company  of  soldiers  ap- 
peared, intending  to  massacre  all  the 
Indians  living  here,  from  thirty  to 
forty  in  number.  The  massacre,  how- 
ever, was  prevented  only  by  the  ear- 
nest entreaties  of  Missionary  Grube, 
Avho  however,  soon  fled  to  Nazareth 
with  his  flock,  leaving  the  village  and 
stores  of  corn  behind.  Several  wagon 
loads  of  Indian  effects  and  some  corn 
were  however  saved.  Soon  after  the 
torch  was  applied  and  the  village 
burned  to  the  ground.  Scarcely  had 
the  Indians  left  when  the  white  set- 
tlers of  the  neighborhood  petitioned 
the  Governor  at  Philadelphia  to  re- 
turn them  or  send  an  adequate  force 
for  protection.  The  whites  had  more 
confidence  in  the  Indians  as  a  defence 
than  a  few  soldiers  of  questionable 
character.  Cattle  from  Christian- 
spring  were  pastured  upon  the  aban- 
doned lands  until  about  the  beginning 
of  the  last  century  when  they  Avere 
cut  up  into  farms  and  sold. 

The  missionaries  at  Wechquetank 
were  as  follows:  Joachim  Senseman, 
John  Joseph  Shebosh.  with  his  In- 
dian wife,  Christiana ;  Anton,  a  native 
helper,  and  Christian  Fred.  Post,  who 
afterwards  played  such  a  prominent 
part  in  the  capture  of  Fort  Duquesne, 
under  Gen.  Forbes,  in  1758.  His  In- 
dian wife  was  a  sister-in-law  to  Tach- 
gokanhelle,  the  oldest  son  of  Teedyus- 
cung.  Bernhard  Adam  Grube,  with 
his  wife,  arrived  Oct.  18,  1760.  The 
flavor  of  literary  romance  also  clings 
to  Wechquetank.  While  here  Grube 
translated  the  "Harmony  of  the  Four 
Gospels  "  into  the  Delaware  Indian 
language.     At  Memiolagomeka.  (Kun- 


kletown),  he  had  already  translated 
many  hymns  into  the  Indian  tongue. 
It  was  at  this  time  that  his  "Essay  of 
a  Delaware  Indian  Hymn  Book"  was 
printed. 

PRESENT   BEGINNINGS 

It  is  impossible  to  state  when  the 
first  religious  services  were  held  re- 
sulting in  the  present  church  organi- 
zation. Efforts  in  this  direction,  apart 
from  the  Moravian  attempts,  date 
back  in  Monroe  County  as  far  as  Au- 
gust 23,  1737,  in  Smithfield,  1763,  in 
Hamilton,  and  October  27,  1779,  at 
Kunkletown.  David  Brainerd  labor- 
ed in  Smithfield  after  1741.  Rev.  J.  A. 
Friderici,  (Luth.),  also  labored  there 
in  1760,  as  well  as  in  Hamilton,  1763. 
Rev.  Van  Buskirk  (Luth.),  appears  on 
the  Kunkletown  Church  Record,  1783. 
E.  J.   Eyerman,   (Ref.).,   1789. 

It  is  self-evident  that  services 
were  held  in  this  neighborhood  prior 
to  1800.  Tradition  tells  us  that  ser- 
vices were  held  in  a  barn  where  the 
road  leads  to  the  mill  from  near  the 
Tract  residence.  As  already  stated  a 
considerable  population  must  have 
existed  before  1800,  in  these  parts 
since  most  of  the  family  names  extant 
are  found  in  the  Hamilton  and  Kun- 
kletown Church  Records  since  1768 
and   1779. 

The  ground  upon  which  this  church 
stands  was  donated  by  Philip  Shupp 
and  Richard  Peters,  of  Philadelphia, 
each  one  granting  two  acres. 

Philip  Shupp  was  a  grandson  of 
Henry  Shupp.  who  together  with  his 
family,  landed  at  Philadelphia,  Sept. 
17'  1753-  His  name  also  appears 
among  petitioners  to  the  Governor  of 
Pennsylvania  for  arms  and  ammuni- 
tion Oct.  5,1757.  The  names  of  Henry. 
Abraham  and  Philip  Shupp  are  found 
as  communicant  members  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  on  the  Hamilton 
Church  Record  for  the  year  1774.  The 
two  latter  names  are, also  found  on  the 
Kunkletown  Record.  This  fact  to- 
gether with  the  donation  of  two  acres 
of  ground  on  the  part  of  Philip  Shupp 
shows  that  the  famih-  was  laudably 
interested  in  Zion  and  the  necessity  of 


SALEM  CHURCH,   MONROE  COUNTY,   PA. 


19 


cliurcli   privilei^es  in   their  midst. 

Richard  Peters  was  born  in  Liver- 
pool ,  Enoiand.  about  1705.  At  the 
age  of  fifteen  he  graduated  fromWest- 
minster  School,  London.  He  attend- 
ed Leyden  University  for  three  years 
and  afterwards  studied  law  at  the  In- 
ner Temple,  London.  By  permission 
of  his  father  he  studied  for  the  minis- 
try and  was  ordained  in  173 1  by  the 
IJishop  of  Winchester.  In  1735  he 
came  to  Philadelphia  and  was  ap- 
pointed assistant  to  Dr.  Cummings  of 
Christ  Church.  In  1737  he  resigned 
and  began  the  practice  of  law.  In 
1742  he  became  Provincial  Secretary 
and  Clerk  of  the  Council.  Later  he 
Avas  appointed  President  of  the  Acad- 
emy. After  much  urging  on  the 
part  of  his  former  parishoners,  as  well 
as  Dr.  Muhlenberg,  Peters  again  re- 
entered the  ministry  in  1763,  Muh- 
lenberg, the  Lutheran  patriarch,  and 
Dr.  Peters  were  intimate  friends. 
They  had  the  highest  regards  for 
each  other.  As  the  guest  of  Muhlen- 
berg, Peters  preached  for  him  at  New 
Providence,  Aug.  10,  1760.  He  also 
])reached  at  the  dedication  of  Zion 
Lutheran  Church,  Philadelphia,  June 
26.  1769. 

As  the  agent  of  the  Penn  family, 
Peters  bought  and  sold  extensive 
tracts  of  land,  especially  what  was 
then  Northampton  County.  In  1750 
he  laid  claim  to  the  land  where  Kun- 
kletown  now  stands.  In  1764  he  sold 
land  in  Hamilton  Township,  which 
shows  that  he  still  had  holdings  after 
his  return  to  the  ministry.  Richard 
Peters  died  July  10,  1776.  His  dona- 
tion must  therefore  have  been  made 
before  that  time,  thus  antedating  the 
huilding  of  the  first  church  for  at  least 
thirty  years. 

If  the  deed  to  these  four  acres 
could  be  found  it  would  certain!}' 
clear  uv  this  part  of  the  history  of 
Salem  Church.  The  fact  of  this  dona- 
tion would  certainly  not  have  been  in- 
scribed upon  the  pages  of  the  Church 
Record,  had  the  fathers  not  had  good 
reasons  for  doing  so.  If  we  cannot 
give   Dr.   Peters  any    greater    honors, 


let  us  at  least  inscribe  his  name  to- 
gether with  that  of  Philip  Shupp. 
prominently  upon  the  Record  of 
Salem  Church. 

THE   FIRST  CHURCH— 1806 

This  was  a  log-building  and  stood 
northeast  from  the  present  church  on 
grounds  now  occupied  b}''  the  ceme- 
tery. The  corner-stone  was  laid  Nov, 
14,'  1806.  Rev.  F.  W.  Van  der  Slott 
preached  on  i  Peter  2  :6.  The  dedica- 
tion took  place  September  6,  1808.  The 
clergy  and  people  moved  in  formal 
procession  from  the  schoolhouse  to 
the  church.  The  hymn  :  "Sei  Lob  und 
Ehr  dem  hoechstem  Gut,"  was  sung. 
The  order  observed  was :  The  clergy. 
The  bulling  committee,  elders  and  dea- 
cons, followed  b}^  the  laity.  The  min- 
isters present  wxre :  F.  W.  Van  der 
Sloot  and  Thos.  Pomp  (Ref.),  John 
Casper  Dill  and  Chr.  Endress  (Luth). 
All  of  these  made  appropriate  addres- 
ses. The  name  solemnly  given  the 
new  church  was  Salem — ''the  church 
of  peace."  The  names  of  the  building 
committee  were  Geo.  Kunkle  and  John 
Serfass  (Luth.),  Jacob  Everitt  and 
I'hili]j  Kresge  (Ref).  That  the  origi- 
nal draft  of  the  constitution,  adopted 
Nov.  14,  1806,  was  deposited  in  the 
corner-stone  the  following  names  tes- 
tify to :  Abraham  Shupp,  George  Getz, 
Frederick  Miller,  Jacob  Doffert  and 
Henry  Everitt. 

Nicholas     Esch     and    Peter    Shupp 
were   appointed   a     finance     committee 
July  17,   1808.     They  reported  Aug.  8. 
of  the   same  3'ear   as   follows : 
Total   expenses  $1062.08 

Receipts  in  cash,  57678 

Receipts   in    labor,  242.71 

C^orner-stone   laying.        21.85     i"- 
Glass  &  lumber  sold.       3.54 


$844.88  1-2 

Balance  due.  $217.19  1-2 

Balance  due.  $217.19  1-2 

At  an  accounting  held  Feb.  11,  1815. 

at  the  house    of    George    Kresge    the 

congregation   still   owed    the    building 

committee    loi    pounds.    los.    Sept.   25. 

1815,    at    another    so-called    final    set- 


20 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


llement  at  the  house  of  Lawrence 
Serfass  the  debt  amounted  to  loyp.- 
iis.-8d.  At  this  settlement  the  cost  of 
the  parchment  and  writing  of  the 
Deed  is  jjiven  as  17  shiUing-s  and  6 
])ence. 

Dec.  10.  1820,  members  of  the  Luth- 
eran congregation  consulted  with  re- 
presentatives from  the  Reformed  side 
concerning  the  purchase  of  a  Luth- 
eran parsonage.  The  Reformed  signi- 
hed  their  willingness  provided  the 
same  courtesy  be  extended  to  them  in 
securing  a  home  for  the  Reformed  pas- 
tor. It  was  so  agreed.  The  signers 
to  this  covenant  were  John  Bonser. 
Geo.  Shupp,  and  Henry  Shupp. 
( Luth.)  ;  Philip  Kresge,  William 
Kresge,  David  Borger,  Henry  Everitt 
and  another  signer  w'hose  name  is  in- 
decipherable, (Ref.).  No  notice  is 
found  of  further  action.  The  Lutheran 
congregation  however  ccmtributed  to- 
ward the  Hamilton  parsonage  which 
\vas  built  in  1837,  whilst  the  Reformed 
secured  one  near  Effort.  The  two  con- 
gregations however  are  without  par- 
sonages at  present. 

Sept.  5.  1827,  anttther  settlement 
was  made  by  the  building  committee 
and  trustees  at  the  schoolhouse  when 
the  principal  of  the  debt  remaining 
\\as  $71.75,  and  the  accrued  interest 
amcnmted  to  ^7,^-7^.  The  trustees  at 
this  time  were  Joseph  Trach  and 
i'elix  A\'eiss  (Ret.),  and  John  Kueh- 
iier  and  Jacob  Dorshimer  (Luth). 
John  Serfass,  one  of  the  building  com- 
mittee died  in  1825.  Before  this  time 
collectors  were  apDointed  to  secure 
funds  for  the  liquidation  of  the  debt. 
They  reported  $479.27  1-2,  of  which 
S35.29  1-2  had  been  collected  from 
"outsiders."  Strangely  enough,  the 
collection  ($100.00)  lifted  at  the  dedi- 
cation of  the  church,  twenty  years  be- 
fore, is  re])orte(l  in  this  list. 

March  24.  1828.  the  building  com- 
mittee held  another  meeting,  but  un- 
al)le  to  agree,  the  following  committee 
i>f  adjustment  was  selected:  ]\Iichael 
Misner,  Esq.,  Jacob  Frantz,  Esq., 
ilenry  ^'oung,  Esq..  Jacob  Frantz. 
Es(|..    lienr\'  '^'onngkin   and    Tohn   Kel- 


ler, Esq.  These  with  the  exception  of 
-Michael  Alisner,  met  at  the  house  of 
(;ieo.  Kresge.  April  18,  1828,  and  ad- 
justed the  various  claims  as  follows: 
John  Serfass  estate.  $37.26,  Geo.  Kun- 
kle  $10.11,  Philip  Kresge,  $17.68,  and 
Jacob  Everitt  $2.13. 

THE  SECOND  CHURCH— 1872 
After  a  few  preliminary  meetings  it 
was  resolved  at  a  congregational  meet- 
ing, Aug.  3,  1871,  "  to'^  build  a  new 
church  the  following  year.  Material 
for  this  purpose  was  to  be  secured  at 
<:)nce.  The  following  building  com- 
mittee was  appointed :  John  Snyder 
and  Reuben  Gregory,  (Ref.),  Chas.  J. 
Shafer  and  Chas.  Shupp  (Luth.).  The 
committee  on  church  plans  consisted 
of  Joseph  Gruber,  Peter  S.  Altenmose. 
David  Shupp  and  Levi  C.  Shupp  to- 
gether with  the  respective  pastors : 
Revs.  Struntz  and   Becker. 

The  committee  met  Aug.  15,  1871, 
in  open  meeting  when  twelve  resolu- 
tions were  presented  and  adonted. 
Amongst  other  things  it  was  ordered 
that  the  new  church  retain  the  name 
of  Salem  ;  that  every  member  on  both 
sides  do  his  or  her  duty ;  that  none, 
with  the  exception  of  the  widows  and 
orphans  in  distress,  were  considered 
too  poor  to  contribute  toward  the  ex- 
penses; that  all  who  refuse  to  contri- 
bute anything  up  to  the  time  the 
church  is  finished  shall  no  longer  be 
considered  as  members  but  as  volun- 
tarily excluded  ;  that  all  who  neglect- 
ed to  contribute,  though  able  to  do  so, 
shall  have  from  henceforth  no  claim 
uDon  the  church,  the  cemetery,  etc. ; 
that  this  church  shall  be  for  the  ex- 
clusive use  of  the  Lutheran  and  Re- 
formed congregations  and  that  no 
minister  of  any  other  denc^mination 
shall  have  the  right  to  Dreach,  officiate 
or  ]K'rf<irm  any  services  whatever, 
either  in  the  church  or  on  the  ceme- 
tery :  and  finally  that  these  resolu- 
tions be  read  from  the  i)ulpit  by  the 
resnective  pastors. 

That  the  aI:)o\c  resolutions  were 
adonted  after  a  th(irough  discussion 
is   affirmed    and    su1)scribed   to   bv   the 


SALEM  CHURCH,  MONROE  COUNTY,  PA. 


21 


following-  coniniittee :  L.  C.  Shupp, 
President ;  Joseph  Griil^er,  Secretary  ; 
P.  S.  Altemose,  David  Shupp,  Rev.  G. 
A.  Struntz  and  Rev.  Ch.  Becker. 

The  corner-stone  was  laid  June  i6, 
1872.  The  only  record  of  this  occa- 
sion is  found  in  The  Monroe  Demo- 
crat— a  very  lame  report  indeed.  Ac- 
cordini^  to  this  report  Re\'.  Struntz 
led  the  singing  and  laid  the  corner- 
stone. Rev.  D.  F.  Brcndle  spoke  in 
the  forenot)n  on  Heb.  6,  19.  In  the 
afternoon  Rev.  D.  E.  Schoedler 
])reached  on  John  15.  1-8,  followed  by 
Rev.  G.  B.  Dechant  in  English.  The 
services  were  held  in  the  grove  near- 
by. The  collection  anniunted   to  $148.- 

45;^ 

The  dedication  took  place  Ang.  16 
and  17.  1873.  Nothing  beyond  sev- 
eral announcements  in  the  count}^ 
papers  is  found  recorded  concerning 
this  festive  occasion.  The  pastors 
loci.  Revs..  Weber  and  Becker  were 
assisted  on  the  Lutheran  side  by  Rev. 
G.  A.  Struntz  and  A.  R.  Home,  D.  D. 
On  the  Reformed  side  Rev.  G.  B.  De- 
chant  and  another  brother  minister, 
whose  name  is  forgotten,  were  pre- 
sent. 

At  a  congregational  meeting  held 
Xcn-.  19.  1878,  a  committee  consisting 
i)f  Ste])hen  Ziegenfuss,  Geo.  Angle- 
myer  and  Rev.  A.  M.  Strauss  reported 
the  cost  of  the  new  church,  together 
with  furnishings  and  bell,  at  a  total 
of  $9659.17.  During  this  time  the 
cemetery  was  enlarged  at  a  cost  of 
one  hundred  dollars.  The  committee 
on  expenses.  John  Snyder  and  Wil- 
liam Gilbert,  reported  $130.50  collect- 
ed for  land  and  fencing  i)urposes.  At 
a  congregaticmal  meeting  June  29, 
T878,  it  was  resolved  that  hereafter 
no  corpse  be  allowed  in  the  church  on 
tuntTal    occasions. 

THE    SERVrCES 

During  the  earl}-  history  of  the 
church  the  services  were  exclusively 
in  German.  About  the  year  1850  Eng- 
I'.sli  services  were  occasionally  held, 
which,  at  the  present  time,  prepon- 
derate    with      prospects      of     entireh^ 


superseding  the  German  language 
within  a  few  years.  Already  in  the 
year  1829,  as  the  Record  shows,  some 
catechumens  used  the  English  cate- 
chism. 

SALEM  AS  A  MOTHER  CHURCH 

With  the  increase  of  the  population 
in  this  part  of  the  country  the  need  of 
increased  facilities  for  worship  were 
felt.  Accordingly,  the  people  centered 
around  Broadheadsville,  built  Zion's 
Church  with  which  many  others  from 
Salem  and  Christ  Union  Church, 
Hamilton,  affiliated  themselves.  In 
1872  St.  John's  Church,  Efifort,  was 
built  by  niembers  drawn  almost  ex- 
clusively from  the  two  congregations 
of  this  church.  In  1888  St.  Paul's 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  at 
Kresgeville  was  built  by  members 
who  formerly  had  been  connected 
with  the  Lutheran  congregation  here. 
SPIRITUAL  SONS 

Salem  Lutheran  congregation  has 
given  five  sons  to  the  ministry :  Rew 
John  Aberly,  D.  D.,  Missionary  in 
India  ;  Rev.  G.  G.  Kunkle,  of  Tuscar- 
awas, Ohio ;  Rev.  J.  F.  Bruch,  of 
Weissport,  Pa.;  Rev.  J.  H.  Miller, 
Ph.  D.,  an  adopted  son,  at  New 
Castle,  Pa.,  and  Rev.  H.  A.  Kunkle,  of 
Bethlehem,  Pa.  (now  in  Canada). 
STATISTICS 

Unhap])ily  in  the  matter  of  statis- 
tics the  early  Records  are  very  incom- 
plete, and  so  preclude  any  correct 
statement  \vith  perhaps  the  exception 
of  bai)tisms.  Vp  to  the  present  time 
the  baptisms  recorded  number  359f>. 
Only  two  deaths  are  recorded  in  the 
oldest  record  book  and  none  Avhatever 
in  the  next  following.  Xo  marriages 
A\erc  recorded.  As  a  rule  the  names 
of  ciMiimunicants  are  gi\cn. 

THE  UNION  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 
.A  I'nion  Sundav  School  was  organ- 
ized Aug.  26,  1855,  which  however 
was  conducted  onh^  during  the  sum- 
mer luonths  until  the  completion  of 
the  new  church  in  1873.  The  instruc- 
tion was  in  English.  In  the  latter 
part  of  the  year,  1878.  a  divisitin  of 
the   Sundav  School   was  asked   f(~ir  re- 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


suiting  in  the  ort^anization  of  two  seji- 
arate  schools. 

In  1881  nnder  the  pastorate  of  Rev. 
Huber,  the  Reformed  congregation 
erected  a  Sunday  School  chapel  which 
was  dedicated  in  July  of  the  same 
_\'ear.  Oct.  2,  1886,  members  of  the 
Lutheran  congregation  efifected  an 
organization  under  the  title  of  the 
"Evangelical  Lutheran  Sunday  School 
Association  of  Salem  Church,"  which 
erected  a  chapel  during  the  winter  of 
1886-7  at  a  cost  of  $3,298.07.  The  cor- 
ner-stone was  laid  in  1886  and  the 
dedication  took  place  Sept.  14,  1890, 
the  pastor,  Rev.  S.  B.  Stupp,  being  as- 
sisted bv  Dr.  W.  Wackernagle  and 
Rev.  R.'H.  Clare. 

LUTHERAN    PASTORS 

I.JOHN  CASPER  DILL.  1806-1810. 
2.  FREDERICK  WILLIAM   MEE- 
NSEN.      1810-1815    and    1839-44. 

V  PETER    RUPPERT.     1816-1819 
and    182^-1828. 

4.  REV.  HENRY  KURTZ,   1819-23. 

V  REV.  JOSEPH  B.  GROSS.  1829- 

18^8. 

6.  REV.   GEORGE   HEILIG.    1844- 

1845- 

7.  REV.  E.  A.  BAUER.     1846-1850. 

8.  REV.      T.      F.     HORNBERGER. 

185 1- 1858. 

9.  Rev.    T.   SCHMALTZ'L.      1859-60. 
10.  REV.   NATHAN  JAEGER.   1860- 

1863. 
Ti.  REV.    ABRAHAM     H.     GROH. 

1863- 1865. 
12.  REV.  G.  A.  STRUNTZ.    1866-72. 
n-  REV.     CARL     CHR.     WEBER. 

1 872- 1 874. 
14.  REV.  A.  M.  STRAUSS.     1874-88. 
iv  REV.  S.  B.  STUPP.     1889-1892. 
16.  REV.  A.  C.  WUCHTER. 

Rev.  ^^^lchter  was  born  at  Jackson- 
ville. Lehigh  County,  Pa.,  Feb.  4, 
1856.  He  attended  the  public  schools 
u!)  to  the  age  of  18  years  when  he  re- 
gistered as  a  student  at  the  Millers- 
\-ille  State  Normal  School  from  1875 
to  1877.  He  taught  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  natiA'e  county  for  four 
years. 

In  1878  he  left  for  Europe,  entering 
the  "Association  Internationale  de  Pro- 


fesseurs"  in  the  city  of  Paris — an  in- 
stitution founded  by  Dr.  Ch.  Rudy,  a 
native  of  Lehigh  County, — -where  he 
jmrsued  the  study  of  languages,  music 
and  belles-lettres  for  three  years.  He 
became  successively  director  of  two 
branch  schools  of  this  institution.  For 
one  summer  he  served  as  assistant 
principal  and  teacher  of  a  French 
boarding  school   near   Paris. 

He  returned  to  America  in  18S1  and 
the  year  following  entered  the  Luth- 
eran Theological  Seminary  at  Phila- 
delphia, from  which  he  ^graduated  in 
1885.  He  was  ordained  June  2.  of  the 
same  year  by  the  Ministerium  of 
Pennsyh'ania,  in  session  at  Allen- 
town.  His  first  call  came  from  St. 
Paul's  Lutheran  Church  at  Summit 
Hill,  Pa.,  where  he  labored  for  five 
years.  In  1890  he  assumed  the  pas- 
torate of  the  Weissport  charge,  serv- 
ing it  for  three  years.  In  1893  he  ac- 
cepted a  call  from  the  Pleasant  Valley 
charge  which  he  has  continued  to 
serve  up  to  the  present  time,   (1906). 

REFORMED  PASTORS 
REV.   FREDERIC  WILLIAM  VAN 

DER  SLOOT.     1806-1809. 
REV.  THOMAS   POMP.     1809-1814. 
REV.      THEODORE      L  U  D  W  I  G 

HOFFEDITZ.     1814-1834. 
REV.     JOHN     PETER      DECKER. 

1 83  5- 1 854. 
REV.    CHARLES    BECKER.      1855- 

1873- 
REV.  HORACE  DANIELS.   1874-76. 
REV.  THOMAS    A.  HUBER,    1876- 

•rOQr- 

REV."^  FRANK  W.  SMITH.  1885.— 
RcA".  Frank  W.  Smith  was  born 
Feb.  4,  1853,  in  Heidelberg  Township 
Lehigh  County,  I'a.  Baptized  and 
confirmed  by  Rev.  Dr.  William  Hel- 
frich.  He  attended  the  Normal  Schools 
at  Millersville  and  Kutztown,  Pa., 
and  followed  the  teaching  profession 
for  seven  consecuti\e  years.  He  made 
final  preparation  for  the  holy  ministry 
in  the  institutions  at  Lancaster.  Pa. 
On  May  17,  1883,  he  was  licensed  by 
Lehigh  Classis  at  Allentown  and  or- 
dained and  installed  as  pastor  of  the 
Tannersville  Charge,  Aug.  5,   1883,  ^^ 


SALEM  CHURCH,  MONROE   COUNTY,   PA. 


23 


Tannersville,  by  a  committee  appoint- 
ed by  East  Pennsylvania  Classis,  con- 
sisting of  Revs.  G.  W.  Kerchner,  T. 
O.  Stein  and  Dr.  1).  Y.  Heisler.  This 
pastorate  lasted  till  October,  1885.  On 
July  13,  1885,  East  Pennsylvania 
Classis  erected  the  Pleasant  Valley 
Charge.  Soon  after  the  erection  of 
this   charsjc   tlun-   extended   him   a   call 


which  he  accepted.  Classis  dissolved 
the  pastoral  relation  between  him  and 
the  Tannersville  Charge  Oct.  12, 
1885.  One  Tuesday,  Nov.  to,  1885,  he 
was  installed  as  pastor  of  the  Pleas- 
ant Valley  Charge,  by  a  committee 
consisting  of  Revs.  J.  E.  I'^reeman,  T. 
O.   Stem   and  Joseph   Schlap])ig. 


The  Early  Moravians  in  Berks  County 

By  Daniel  Miller,  Reading,  Pa. 


L'CH  has  been  said  and 
published  on  this  subject 
which  is  more  traditional 
than  historical.  It  is 
proper  that  an  effort  be 
made  to  present  this  his- 
tory in  as  accurate  and 
reliable  a  form  as  pos- 
sible. 

It  may  surprise  some  when  I  raise 
the  tpiestion,  were  there  ever  any 
earh'  Moravian  settlements  in  Berks 
county?  That  is,  were  any  of  the 
early  settlements  made  by  the  people 
Avho  were  Moravians  when  they 
came  here?  I  think  not.  It  is  true 
that  some  Moravians  settled  in  this 
CDunty,  but  they  came  after  the  earl}' 
settlements  had  been  made  and  the 
congregations  founded.  The  first  fol- 
lowers of  the  Moravians  Avere  secured 
from  the  Reformed.  Lutheran  and 
Mennonite  settlers.  I  cite  the  follow- 
ing facts  to  sustain  this  view. 

There  were  only  two  places  where 
congregations  existed  which  were 
known  as  Moravian — Oley  and  North 
Heidelberg.  The  first  settlers  of  Oley 
were  principally  French  and  German 
Reformed  people  who  came  to  Amer- 
ica to  escape  persecution.  They  came 
about  1 712  and  afterward.  The  set- 
tlers in  North  Heidelberg  were  Re- 
formed and  Lutheran  Palatines  who 
were  sent  to  New  York  state  by 
Queen  Anne  in  1710,  and  came  to  Tul- 
pehocken  under  the  two  ^^''eisers  in 
1723     and     1729.       At    that    time    the 


Moravians  had  hardl}'  an  existence. 
They  usually  date  their  beginning 
back  to  1722,  when  a  few  refugees  set- 
tled upon  the  estate  of  Count  Zinzen- 
dorf  in  Saxony,  but  they  became  an 
organized  body  only  in  1727.  I  have 
been  unable  to  find  traces  of  any 
Moravians  being  among  the  first  set- 
tlers   in    Berks    county. 

THE  MORAVIANS 

^^'ho  were  the  IVIoravians?  The 
founders  of  this  body  were  the  descen- 
dants of  Bohemians  and  Moravians 
who  suflfered  persecution  in  their  na- 
tive countries  for  the  sake  of  the  gos- 
pel. They  formed  an  organization  or 
colony  on  the  estate  of  Count  Zinzen- 
dorf,  as  already  stated,  in  1722.  This 
place  was  Hernhut,  and  for  this  rea- 
son the  Moravians  are  even  to  this 
day  known  among  the  Germans  as 
"Hernhutters."  Their  ofificial  title  is 
"Church  of  the  United  Brethren."" 
Count  Zinzendorf  became  their  lead- 
er, and  may  be  called  their  principal 
founder.  He  devoted  nearly  his  whole 
life,  property  and  energy  to  the  pro- 
motion of  the  new  society.  He  was  a 
remarkable  and  peculiar  man.  His 
real  name  was  Ludwig  von  Thurn- 
stein,  and  he  usually  signed  his  name 
in  this  way.  He  was  also  one  of  their 
first  Bishops.  The  first  Bishop  was 
consecrated  in  1735,  whilst  Zinzen- 
dorf was  consecrated  two  years  later, 
in    1737. 

It   was  e\identlv  not  Count  Zinzen- 


24 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


(lorf's  purpose  to  found  a  new  and  dis- 
tinct denomination.  His  purpose  ap- 
pears to  have  been  to  organize  so-call- 
ed "  tropes  "  or  circles  in  each  exist- 
ing" denomination,  and  all  of  them 
were  to  be  united  spiritually  as  the 
"Church  of  the  United  Brethren."  In 
the  discipline  which  Zinzendorf  for- 
mulated, he  avoided  all  points  of  doc- 
trine which  divided  Christians  and 
em])hasized  the  cardinal  points  upon 
which  all  agreed.  His  purpose  was 
well-meant,  but  time  and  experience 
have  shown  that  it  was  impracticable. 
This  is  fully  illustrated  by  the  results 
of  the  efforts  to  carry  oitt  this  pecu- 
liar  scheme   in    Pennsylvania. 

Count  Zinzendorf  was  a  truly  good 
man.  He  was  full  of  enthusiasm  and 
religious  zeal.  His  leading  passion 
was  to  preach  the  crucified  Christ. 
Everything  else  was  subordinate.  In 
many  respects  he  was  a  peculiar  man 
and  on  this  account  he  was  often  mis- 
understood. It  is  indeed  difficult  to 
understand  him  fully  even  now.  It  is 
hard  to  reconcile  his  positions  at  dif- 
ferent times.  He  was  brought  up  a 
Lutheran,  heartily  accepted  the  Augs- 
burg confession,  and  ever  held  firmly 
to  it.  He  was  ordained  by  the  Re- 
formed Court  Preacher  Jablonsky  in 
lierlin.  and  later  became  the  principal 
founder  of  the  Moravian  Church.  He 
appears  to  have  been,  like  Paul,  "  all 
things  to  all  men,"  and  likely  from 
the  same  motive,  "that  he  might  save 
some."  AA'hilst  he  made  great  sacri- 
fices for  the  cause  of  the  Moravians, 
he  at  times  appeared  to  have  turned 
his  back  upon  them.  In  an  address 
at  Herrendyk.  on  August  6.  1741,  a 
short  time  before  leaving  for  America, 
he  said :  "I  am  destined  by  the  Lord 
to  proclaim  the  message  of  the  death 
and  blood  of  Jesus,  not  with  human 
ingenuity,  but  with  divine  power. 
This  was  my  vocation  long  before  I 
knew  of  the  Moravian  Brethren.  Al- 
though I  am  and  shall  ever  remain 
connected  with  the  Moravian  Breth- 
ren, still  I  do  not  on  that  account  by 
any  means  separate  myself  from  the 
Lutheran   Church." 


Zinzendorf  landed  at  New  York, 
Xov.  30,  1741,  spent  six  days  there, 
went  to  Philadelphia  Dec.  10,  spent 
Christmas  at  Bethlehem,  then  preach- 
ed in  the  Reformed  church  at  Ger- 
mantown  on  Dec.  31,  1741.  Then 
soon  after  he  became  pastor  of  the 
Lutheran  church  in  Philadelphia,  and 
served  it  for  some  time.  He  laid  aside 
his  title  of  Count  Zinzendorf  and 
wished  to  be  known  as  Ludwig  von 
Thurnstein.  Later  he  again  espoused 
the  cause  of  the  ^Moravians,  and  la- 
bored zealously  in  their  name  during 
the  balance  of  his  short  career  of 
about  two  years  in  this  country.  But 
even  dviring  this  latter  period  his  na- 
tive Lutheranism  again  asserted  itself. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  fourth  Synod 
in  Germantown,  March  21-23.  1742- 
in  replying  to  a  theological  discussion 
b}'  a  Baptist,  Zinzendorf  declared 
"that  the  Lutheran  Church  of  which 
he  still  regarded  himself  to  be  a  mem- 
ber, was  properly  the  most  blessed 
one,  and  preferable  even  to  the  old 
Moravian."  He  stated  that  it  was  a 
great  question  whether  a  servant  of 
Christ  who  had  separated  himself 
from  the  Lutheran  Church,  had  gain- 
ed anything  by  joining  another  sect. 
He  considered  it  very  dtuibtful.  • 

Zinzendorf  has  been  charged  with 
the  purpose  of  capturing  the  various 
denominations  for  the  Moravians. 
\\'hilst  this  seems  to  be  the  general 
impression,  it  is  hardly  correct.  "The 
CongTegation  of  God  in  the  Spirit" 
apijears  to  have  been  intended  by  him 
rather  as  a  spiritual  than  an  organic 
union.  According  to  his  plan  the 
several  denominations  were  to  con- 
tinue their  automony,  but  they  were 
tc^  be  united  spiritually.  This  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  when  at  the 
memorable  meeting  in  Oley  on  Feb. 
11-13,  1742.  it  was  ]:)roposed  to  organ- 
ize the  adherents  which  Mr.  Eschen- 
bach  had  gathered  there  from  several 
denominations,  into  a  congregation. 
Zinzendorf  opposed  it.  He  declared 
that  he  did  not  wish  to  gain  prose- 
lytes for  the  Moravian  Church,  and 
that  if  all  \vould  only  agree  upon  the 


THE    EARLY    MORAVIANS     IN     BERKS   COUNTY 


most  essential  points,  every  one  might 
remain  in  his  denomination.  The 
Synod  ado])ted  this  view,  and  agreed 
to  recognize  the  Oley  people  as  an  un- 
denominational congregation,  a  very 
unusual  thing,  with  Air.  Andrew 
Eschenbach  as  pastor. 
Then  again,  the  Pennsylvania  Synod 
composed  of  delegates  from  the  sev- 
eral denominations  connected  with 
the  union  movement,  has  been  regard- 
ed as  a  part  of  Zinzendorf's  plans. 
This  is  also  an  error,  lie  apparently 
never  contemplated  such  a  body.  On 
December  26,  1741,  about  the  time 
when  Zinzendoi'f  arrived  in  Philadel- 
phia, Henry  Antes  issued  a  call  to  all 
denominations  to  attend  a  general 
meeting  at  Germantown  for  the  pur- 
pose of  "promoting  love  and  forbear- 
ance." This  was  the  beginning  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Synod.  Of  its  meetings 
Zinzendorf  later  declared:  "I  was 
neither  the  author  nor  the  adviser  of 
these  meetings  which  were  called  by 
Pennsylvanians  who  had  become  tir- 
ed of  their  own  ways." 

Zinzendorf's  sijirit  was  naturally 
imbibed  by  his  followers.  Rev.  Henry 
.Antes,  one  of  those  ordained  by  the 
Moravians  to  labor  among  the  Re- 
formed, like  Rev.  Mr.  Lischey,  claim- 
ed to  l)e  still  Reformed.  When  asked 
how  this  could  he,  since  he  afifiliated 
with  the  Moravians,  he  replied :  "  I 
am  Reformed,  and  also  a  Lutheran, 
and  a  Mennonite.  .\  Christian  is 
e\erything." 

We  have  a  somewhat  similar  in- 
stance in  the  peculiar  case  of  Rev. 
William  Otterbein.  who  was  brought 
to  America  in  1752  as  a  Reformed 
minister  l)v  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter. 
Toward  the  close  of  the  eighteenth 
century  Otterbein  partici])ated  in  the 
movement  which  j'jroduced  the  United 
l^)rethren  Church.  He  helped  to  or- 
ganize that  Church  in  t8oo  and  be- 
came one  of  its  first  two  I'ishops.  .\t 
the  same  time  he  continued  his  mem- 
bership in  the  Reformed  Church.  In 
1800  and  1806  he  attended  the  Re- 
formed Svnod.  and  in  1812,  the  year 
before     his     death,    he    said    to    Re\-. 


Isaac  Gerhart :  "I  am  a  mend^er  of 
the  Synod  of  the  German  Reformed 
Church,  but  cannot  attend  on  acoum 
of  old  age." 

The  Moravians  have  always  been 
distinguished  by  two  excellent  char- 
acteristics— their  unblemished  Chris- 
tian character  and  their  great  mission- 
ary zeal.  In  the  latter  they  have  ex- 
celled all  other  denominations.  Their 
missionaries  have  often  gone  to  dark 
and  ob.scure  places  where  no  one  else 
seemed  willing  to  go.  Their  member- 
ship in  the  foreign  field  is  larger  than_ 
that  in  the  home  lands.  This  cannot 
be  said  of  any  other  body.  Some  one 
has  explained  the  intense  missionarx 
activity  of  the  Moravians  by  the  state- 
ment that  from  early  childhood  the 
youth  is  taught  that  the  two  great  oIj- 
jects  of  their  being  are  to  live  for  God 
and  to  send  the  gospel  to  the  heathen. 
Where  else  can  a  more  noble  doctrine 
be  found? 

THE  MORAVI.\NS  IN  OLEY 

The  first  Moravian  representative 
to  visit  Oley  w^as  liishop  A.  G.  Span- 
genberg.  who  went  there  in  1737,  ac- 
companied by  Mr.  Christouher  Wieg- 
ner,  of  Skippack.  His  object  was  to 
visit  the  Reformed  and  Lutherar 
people,  among  whom  Henry  Antes,  o' 
Frederick  township.  Mc^ntgomery 
Count^^  a  pious  member  of  the  Re- 
formed Church,  had  been  ]>reaching. 
The  Bishop  preached  in  the  houses  o:' 
Jonathan  Herodes  and  Abraham  Bert- 
olet.  At  the  latter  olace  he  attacke' 
the  sect  of  the  "  Xew  Born." 

The  first  kK'ated  Moravian  ministe-' 
in  Oley  ^vas  Rev.  Andrew  Eschen- 
bach. who  Avas  sent  there  in  1740  to 
labor  among  the  Pennsylvania  Ger- 
mans at  the  request  of  Rev.  GeorLrr 
\Miitefield,  the  noted  Methodist  pi(»- 
neer.  who  had  visited  Pennsylvania 
in  1739  and  seen  the  destitution  of  the 
peo])le  here.  The  people  flocked  to 
him  to  hear  the  gospel  but  he  could 
not  preach  German.  He  therefore 
wrote  to  Count  Zinzend(^rf  and  urged 
him  to  send  German  missionarie.-. 
Thus  Whitefield.  who  afterward  be- 
came   a    \iolent     opponent    of     Zinzcr- 


26 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA- GERMAN 


dorf,  was  instrumental  in  introducing- 
the  Moravian  brethren  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Andrew  Eschenbach  was  a  shoe- 
maker by  occupation,  and  had  united 
with  the  Moravians  only  a  few  years 
before.  But  he  was  possessed  of 
much  zeal  and  was  a  godly  man.  He 
was  introduced  to  the  people  of  Oley 
by  Henry  Antes,  mentioned  above, 
and  made  his  home  for  some  time 
with  John  Leinbach  and  Jean  Bert- 
i)let.  Mr.  Leinbach  was  a  member  of 
the  Reformed  Church  and  one  of  the 
ancestors  of  the  numerous  Leinbach 
family  in  Berks  county,  which  includ- 
es five  now  deceased  and  nine  living- 
Reformed  ministers.  John  Leinbach 
lies  buried  in  the  little  Moravian 
graveyard. 

Jean  Bertolet  was  a  French  Hugue- 
not. He  came  to  America  in  1726  and 
located  in  the  western  part  of  Oley 
township,  near  the  home  of  George 
i^)Oone,  the  ancestor  of  Daniel  Boone, 
the  noted  pioneer  of  Kentucky,  and 
not  far  from  the  home  of  Mordecai 
Linct)ln,  tlie  ancestor  of  Abraham 
Lincoln,  the  great  president.  Jean 
Bertolet  became  a  prominent  Mora- 
vian and  was  noted  for  his  active 
])iety.  At  that  time  there  were  many 
India'-'s  in  Oley,  there  being  three  vil- 
lages of  the  Delaware  tribe  in  the 
township.  j\fr.  Bertolet  frequently 
visited  the  Indians,  ministered  to  their 
wants,  instructed  them  and  prayed 
with  them  in  their  humble  cabins. 
Zinzendorf  preached  a  number  of 
times  in  his  house.  l\'Ir.  Bertolet  is 
also  remembered  as  the  man  who  in- 
duced Dr.  George  De  Benneville,  the 
first  jireacher  of  LIniversalism  in  this 
country,  to  locate  in  Oley.  De  Benne- 
ville subsequently  married  a  daugh- 
ter of  Mr.  Bertolet's.  7'his  Jean  Bert- 
olet brought  a  French  family  Bible 
with  him  to  America  which  it  was  my 
l)leasure  to  examine  a  few  years  ago. 
It  was  printed  in  1567,  and  contains 
the  family  history  in  French.  During 
mau}^  years  it  was  in  the  possession  of 
ATr.  Cyrus  Bertolet,  who  a  few  years 
ago   fell  from  a  hay  wagon  and  broke 


his  neck.  The  Bible  was  subsequently 
sold  at  a  large  price  to  another  mem- 
ber of  the  family. 

The  preaching  of  Andrew  Eschen- 
bach made  a  deep  impression  upon 
the  people  and  soon  many  persons  be- 
came interested.  We  are  told  that 
the  following  year,  1741,  Mr.  Eschen- 
bach already  had  51  followers  includ- 
ing several  Leinbachs,  who  were  Re- 
formed ;  a  number  of  Lutherans  nam- 
ed Buerstler,  John  DeTurk,  a  French 
Huguenots  and  others.  John  DeTurk's 
father,  Isaac  DeTurk,  had  fled  from 
France,  reached  America  in  1709  and 
came  to  Oley  in  1712.  He  took  up  300 
acres  of  land  immediately  west  of  the 
present  village  of  Friedensburg.  At 
the  time  of  his  arrival  there  were  only 
two  other  settlers  in  the  region — -John 
LeDee  and  John  Frederichful.  It  is 
not  known  from  whence  they  came. 
The  DeTurk  farm  ever  remained  in 
the  family  and  is  now  owned  by  Mr. 
Nathan  DeTurk,  a  man  of  85  years. 
The  family  name  was  really  LeTurk. 
but  it  has  always  been  known  as  De- 
Turk.  John  DeTurk,  Isaac's  son,  be- 
came an  ardent  Moravian  follower. 
In  1767  he  erected  a  stone  dwelling  on 
the   DeTurk  farm. 

On  November  30,  1741.  Count  Zin- 
zendorf came  to  America.  He  was 
undoubtedly  led  hither  by  his  mis- 
sion ar-v^  zeal.  He  appears  to  have  re- 
garded himself  as  a  general  overseer 
of  the  several  Moravian  settlements 
in  Pennsylvania.  A  Moravian  histor- 
ian says :  Hardly  had  Zinzendorf  ar- 
rived in  Pennsylvania,  when  he  felt 
as  if  he  ought  to  call  out  in  the  words 
of  Moses :  "  Who  is  one  the  Lord's 
side?  Let  him  come  unto  me."  After 
spending  some  time  in  other  places, 
he  came  to  Oley.  Rev.  Mr.  Eschen- 
bach had  paved  the  way  and  Zinzen- 
dorf met  with  a  hearty  reception.  He 
preached  in  the  houses  of  Jean  Bert- 
olet and  John   DeTurk. 

MORAVIAN    METHODS 
The    Moravian    leaders   ordained  min- 
isters to  labor  in  the  dififerent  denomi- 
nations.     Among  those   thus   ordained 
from    and   for    the     Reformed     Church 


THE  EARLY  MORAVIANS  [N  BERKS  COUNTY 


were  John  Bechtel,  Christian  Henry 
Rauch,  Jacob  Lischy,  Henry  Antes 
and  John  Braundmiiller.  Lischy  after- 
ward returned  to  the  Reformed 
Church,  but  the  other  four  entered  the 
Moravian  Church.  Among  those  or- 
dained for  the  Lutheran  Church  were 
Gottleib  Ruttner,  J.  P.  Meurer,  T.  L'. 
Neyberg,  George  Niecke,  J.  C.  Pyr- 
laus,  P.  A.  BryzeHus,  and  others.  On 
Dec.  26,  1741.  Henry  Antes  by  circu- 
lar invited  members  of  all  denomi- 
nations to  meet  in  Germantown.  The 
meeting  took  place  on  Jan.  12,  1742, 
in  Germantown.  and  was  attended  by 
36  persons  representing  eight  denomi- 
nations. Conrad  Weiser  represented 
the  Lutheran  Church.  The  meeting- 
took  the  form  of  a  Synod.  Twenty- 
seven  Synods  were  held  from  1742  to 
1748.  1'here  was  vigorous  opposition 
to  this  union  movement  from  the  be- 
ginning. On  the  part  of  the  Reformed 
Church  the  opposition  was  led  by 
Rev.  John  P.  Boehm.  who  published 
two  "Letters  of  Warning."  Rev.  Sam- 
uel Guldin.  the  first  ordained  Reform- 
ed minister  in  this  country,  who  came 
here  in  1710,  and  who  attended  the 
first  meeting  of  the  Synod,  also  op- 
])osed  the  movement  and  issued  five 
tracts  against  it.  In  1748  the  union 
movement  collapsed  and  those  who 
continued  following  it  to  that  time, 
went  into  the  Moravian  Church. 
Thtxse  who  succeeded  Count  Zinzen- 
dorf  in  the  management  of  the  Mora- 
\iati  Church,  notably  Bishop  Cam- 
merhof,  plainly  led  the  afifairs  of  the 
union  movement  in  the  direction  of 
their  Church.  This  led  some  of  the 
denominations  to  withdraw  from  the 
union,  .\nother  cause  for  the  failure 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Synod  was  the 
organizati(~>n  of  the  Reformed  Coetus 
by  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  in  1747. 
and  the  organization  of  the  Lutheran 
.\finisterium  by  Rev.  TTenry  M.  Muh- 
lenberg   in    1748. 

THE  GREAT   MEETING 

On  Januar}'  11-13.  1742,  the  most 
important  Moravian  meeting  ever  held 
in    Berks    county   took    place   on    John 


DeTurk's  farm,  near  Friedensburg. 
This  meeting  was  the  third  Synod.  It 
was  attended  by  the  leaders  of  the 
Moravians,  including  Count  Zinzen- 
dorf  and  Bishop  Nitschman,  and 
many  persons  from  various  denomi- 
nations, besides  a  number  of  Indians. 

The  Synodical  meeting  was  held  in 
DeTurk's  house.  One  of  the  most  im- 
portant acts  was  the  ordination  of 
four  persons  to  the  ministry.  Mr. 
Andrew  Eschenbach.  who  had  labor- 
ed in  Oley  more  than  a  year,  was  or- 
dained by  Bisho])s  Zinzendorf  and 
Nitschman.  Three  others  were  also 
ordained,  as  follows:  Christian  Henry 
Rauch,  a  member  of  the  Reformed 
Church,  to  labor  among  the  Indians 
in  New  York ;  Gottlieb  Biittner,  as  a 
missionary  among  the  Six  Nation  In- 
dians ;  and  J.  C.  Pyrlaus  to  be  pastor 
of  the  Lutheran  Church  in  Philadel- 
phia. Biittner  died  at  Shekomeko,  N. 
Y.,  while  laboring  among  the  Indians, 
on  Feb.  23,  1745.  Zinzendorf  organ- 
ized an  Indian  congregation  at  Sheko- 
meko, in   September,   1743. 

At  this  Synod  it  was  proposed  to 
organize  the  followers  of  the  Mora- 
vians in  Oley,  gathered  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Eschenbach.  into  a  Moravian  congre- 
gation, but  Zinzendorf  opposed  this. 
He  declared  he  did  not  wish  to  gain 
proselytes  for  the  Moravian  Church, 
and  if  the  people  were  only  agreed  in 
the  most  essential  points,  every  one 
might  remain  in  his  denomination. 
This  Synod  accei)ted  his  view  and  re- 
cognized the  Oley  flock  as  an  unde- 
nominational church,  with  Re\-.  An- 
drew Eschenbach  as  pastor. 

For  the  afternoon  the  meeting  was 
held  in  Mr.  DeTurk's  barn  on  account 
of  the  large  number  of  people  present. 
.\t  this  meeting  a  most  interesting 
ceremony  took  place.  It  was  the  bap- 
tis!U  oi  three  converted  Indians  who 
had  been  brought  to  Oley  from  She- 
komeko. New  York,  on  the  border  of 
Connecticut,  as  the  first  fruits  of 
Moravian  missionary  effort  among  the 
red  men.  The  Indians  were  ba])tized 
by  Rev.  Mr.  Rauch.  who  had  been  or- 
dained   at    the    morning    meeting,    and 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


through  whose  labors  the  Indians  had 
been  converted.  The  Indians  bore  the 
names  of  Shabash,  Slein  and  Kiop. 
Xew  names  were  given  them.  Shabash 
was  baptized  Abraham,  Slein,  Isaac 
Okely  and  Kiop,  Jacob.  The  baptism 
was  performed  by  sprinkling.  It  is  an 
interesting  fact  that  the  Baptists  pre- 
sent who  usually  insisted  upon  im- 
mersion, offered  no  objections.  On 
account  of  precautions  in  New  York 
these  and  other  converted  Indians 
were  later  brought  to  Philadelphia 
where  Jacob  died  on  Feb.  8,  1764,  and 
was  buried  the  following  day  by  Rev. 
[ohn  J.  Schmick  on  the  Moravian 
cemetery  in  that  city,  at  the  corner  of 
\lne   and    Franklin   streets. 

A  remarkable  spirit  prevailed  at 
this  meeting.  The  Indians  testified  of 
their  conversion.  The  baptism  was 
followed  by  preaching  by  various 
ministers,  and  the  statement  is  made 
that  the  meeting  was  continued  not 
only  during  the  evening,  but  also  dur- 
ing the  whc^le  night.  This  meeting- 
made  a  deep  impression  in  favor  of 
the  Moravians,  and  led  to  the  erection 
of  the  large  church  and  school  build- 
:"ng,  described  below,  not  long  after. 
The  congregation  at  this  time,  ac- 
cording to  Rev.  Mr.  Reichel,  consist- 
eded  of  Lutherans,  Reformed  and 
Mennonites.  The  John  Leinbach  men- 
tioned  aliove  Avas  an   elder. 

THE   CHURCH 

A  movement  was  now  started  for 
the  erection  of  a  church.  The  exact 
time  of  the  erection  is  not  known.  It 
has  usually  been  fixed  at  1743.  the 
year  after  the  great  meeting,  or  soon 
after.  It  is  certain  that  it  occurred 
l)etween  1743  and  1745.  because  the 
school  was  opened  in  the  new  build- 
ing in  the  latter  year.  The  land,  about 
fifteen  acres,  was  donated,  but  by 
whom  is  not  quite  certain.  One  au- 
thority says  George  Jimgman  donated 
it.  and  this  seems  plausible,  because  a 
l*>rief  of  Title  on  record  in  the  Re- 
corder's office,  Reading,  states  that 
about  this  time  Mr.  Jungman  convey- 
ed   sonic   land   to   Rev.     Henrv    Antes. 


and  Antes  later  conveyed  it  to  John 
Okely.  This  man  came  from  Bedford, 
England,  and  served  a  number  of 
years  as  scrivener  and  conveyancer 
for  the  Moravians  (residing  in  Bethle- 
hem. In  1774  he  became  a  justice  of 
the  peace.  Later  he  left  the  Mora- 
vians. The  record  shows  that  subse- 
cjuently  this  land  was  conveyed  to 
Bishop  Nitschman.  Rev.  Mr.  Reichel, 
a  Moravian  historian,  states  that  John 
DeTurk  donated  the  land. 

At  this  time  the  first  difficulty,  of 
which  we  have  knowledge,  arose 
among  these  people.  It  was  at  first 
proposed  to  erect  a  small  log  build- 
ing, but  Pastor  Eschenbach  opposed 
this.  Mr.  Reichel  states  that  Eschen- 
bach, desired  a  large  two-story  build- 
ing, like  the  clergy  house  at  Bethle- 
hem. Because  he  could  not  have  his 
way  Mr.  Eschenbach  manifested  his 
disappointment  in  his  sermons  in  an 
offensive  way,  and  thereby  lost  the 
confidence  of  the  congregation.  The 
peace  of  the  congregation  was  so 
much  disturbed  that  Count  Zinzen- 
dorf  felt  it  his  duty  to  remo\c  Mr. 
Eschenbach  as  pastor  and  a  )point 
Rev.  Henry  Antes  in  his  place.  Esch- 
enbach returned  to  Bethlehem  and 
served  some  time  as  a  traveling 
preacher,  but  the  record  states  that 
his  usefulness  was  gone.  In  1747  he 
left  Bethlehem  and  became  a  farmer. 
Fie  died  on  the  farm  in  Oley  in   1763. 

It  is  evident  that  whilst  Eschen- 
l>ach  could  not  have  his  own  way 
about  the  kind  of  a  church  to  be  erect- 
ed, his  plan  was  subse(|uently  adopt- 
ed, because  the  btiilding  which  was 
erected  answers  the  description  given 
above.  It  was  a  two-story  frame  build 
ing,  31  by  41  feet  in  size,  with  an  at- 
tic. Instead  of  weather  boarding  the 
spaces  between  the  frame  work  were 
filled  out  with  mortar  consisting  of 
clay,  straw  and  a  small  proportion  of 
lime.  The  first  floor  contained  the 
living  rooms  for  the  teachers,  the  sec- 
ond the  school  room  and  the  church, 
and   the  attic  the  sleeping  rooms. 

In  this  building  church  services 
were  held  and  a  school  conducted.  The 


THE  EARLY  MORAVIANS  IN  BERKS  COUNTY 


29 


school  was  opened  in  1745.  The  first 
teachers  were  John  W.  Michler  and 
Robert  Hussey.  In  1749  the  number  of 
l)oarding'  pupils  was  38.  How  could 
so  many  sleep  in  the  attic?  The 
place  was  then  an  isolated  region,  as 
it  is  even  now.  The  school  was  wide- 
ly and  favorably  known.  In  1748  the 
eleven  bo3'S  of  the  school  at  German- 
town  were  transferred  to  the  Oley 
school.  The  school  conducted  in  the 
house  of  Henry  Antes  in  Frederick 
township,  Montgomery  county,  was 
also  united  with  the  Oley  school  in 
1750.  In  1747  the  Frederick  school 
consisted  of  about  forty  boys,  includ- 
ing' seven  Indians  and  several  ne- 
groes. The  farm  and  mill  of  Henry 
Antes,  and  for  a  time  also  the  farm  of 
William  Frey,  a  Baptist,  were  con- 
ducted for  the  benefit  of  the  Freder- 
ick school.  In  Oley  there  was  no  such 
income.  The  school  de]iended  for 
support  upon  the  brethren  at  Bethle- 
hem. It  was  not  long  until  they 
found  the  burden  too  heavy,  and  al- 
ready the  next  year,  in  1751,  the  Oley 
school  Avas  abandoned.  The  pupils 
were  transferred  to  the  school  at 
Macungie  and  another  one  near  Beth- 
lehem. 

Xeither  did  the  congregation  flour- 
ish long.  It  had  a  small  beginning 
and  never  grew  much.  A  published 
list  of  the  membership  in  1753  in- 
cludes eight  males  and  seven  females, 
total  15.  Henry  Antes  '  could  never 
fully  heal  the  dissensions  which  oc- 
curred under  his  predecessor,  and  the 
flock  declined.  Antes  died  in  1755. 
we  have  no  evidence  that  he  served 
the  people  until  his  death.  The  ser- 
vices were  held  at  irregular  intervals, 
until  finally  in  1765  the  Moravians 
withdrew  entirely  from  Oley.  Thus 
ended  the  Moravian  settlement  in 
Oley. 

Dr.  George  De  Benneville,  the  orig- 
inal Universalist  mentioned  above, 
was  by  some  blamed  for  this  disinte- 
gration of  the  Moravian  flock.  He 
was  a  learned  man  and  had  a  chapel 
in  his  hftuse  in  which  he  preached, 
and   he  influenced  many  persons.  The 


chapel    in    his    house    was    demolished 
oidy  a  few  years  ago. 

THE    GOD'S    ACRE 

A  short  distance  north  of  the  old 
church  is  the  old  Moravian  God's 
Acre.  The  plot  of  ground  is  about  50 
by  60  feet  in  size.  Until  recent  years 
it  was  enclosed  by  a  fence,  but  not  so 
now.  Here  lie  buried  the  remains  of 
some  of  the  early  settlers  and  adher- 
ents of  the  Moravians.  There  are  a 
few  unhewn  stones  to  mark  graves, 
but  not  one  of  them  contains  an  in- 
scrijjtion  of  any  kind.  The  place  is 
often  overgTown  with  weeds  and 
never  receives  any  attention  beyond 
that  bestowed  upon  it  by  Mr.  Moyer, 
the  present  owner  of  the  place.  One 
is  filled  with  sadness  as  he  beholds 
the  place.  Alas,  these  pioneers  have 
been   forgotten  by  their  descendants. 

This  graveyard  furnishes  additional 
evidence  to  what  is  stated  in  the  be- 
ginning of  this  article,  that  these 
people  were  not  Moravians  "von 
Haus  aus."  The  distinguished  Mora- 
vian burial  custom  of  laying  toml)- 
stones  flat  upon  the  graves  is  absent. 
I  surmised  that  possibly  such  stones 
might  have  been  covered  b}^  decaying 
leaves  and  moss  during  the  150  years 
which  have  passed  over  them,  as  was 
the  case  with  many  tombstones  in  the 
^loravian  North  Heidelberg  and 
Bethel  graveyards,  but  herein  I  was 
mistaken.  I  spent  some  time  in  the 
graveyard  with  the  aid  of  Mr.  Moyer 
in  digging  for  buried  gravestones,  but 
found  not  a  single  one.  Numerous 
lots  were  dug  to  the  depth  of  about 
eighteen  inches,  but  no  stones  were 
found. 

THE   OLD   BUILDING 

The  venerable  building  which  was 
erected  before  174*  is  still  standing, 
and  is  substantially  now  as  when  first 
erected,  except  that  it  has  been  weath- 
er-boarded on  three  sides,  whilst  the 
northern  side  is  still  in  its  original 
condition.  The  first  and  second  floors 
are  now  divided  into  four  rooms  each, 
whilst  the  attic  is  all  in  one.  In  the 
centre   of   the   building"  stand   two   im- 


30 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


inense  chimneys,  each  seven  feet,  six 
inches  wide  and  three  feet  thick,  with 
a  hall  between  them.  Each  has  a  fire 
place  on  the  first  and  second  floors 
facing  each  other.  On  the  floor  of  the 
attic  the  two  chimneys  are  united, with 
a  base  of  ten  feet  by  eight  feet.  Near 
the  roof  there  are  openings  for  stove 
l)ipes. 

On  these  fire  places  the  cooking  was 
done  for  the  school  lamily  of  over  50 
persons,  more  than  150  years  ago.  As 
the  united  chimney  passes  through 
the  roof  it  is  oi  great  size.  At  the 
eastern  end  of  the  building  is  another 
large  chimney  with  a  fire  place  on  the 
first  fl(.)or  large  enough  to  hang  a  ket- 
tle such  as  is  used  in  boiling  apple- 
butter.  There  is  only  a  small  cellar 
under  the  house,  about  one-fourth  the 
size  of  the  building.  It  was  never 
larger  than   at  present. 

This  interesting  landmark,  which 
has  withstood  the  storms  of  more  than 
160  years  and  which  antedates  the  be- 
ginning of  the  city  of  Reading,  is  now- 
owned  and  occujned  as  a  dwelling  by 
Mr.  Daniel  W.  Mover  and  his  family. 
He  has  been  here  since  his  seventh 
year,  that  is  45  years,  his  parents  also 
having  resided  here.  Here  fourteen 
children  have  been  born  to  the  ]\Ioyer 
parents,  of  whom  eleven  are  living. 
No  race  suicide  here !  Instead  of  the 
original  fifteen  acres  of  land  the  farm 
now  consists  of  32  acres,  which  Mr. 
Moyer  purchased  from  his  father's 
estate  for  $1120.  The  father  had  paid 
$2850  for  it. 

THE   SECOND   SCHOOL 

After  the  discontinuance  of  the  Mo 
ravian  School  in  1751  the  people  of 
the  neighborhood  manifested  a  desire 
for  a  new  school,  but  for  some  years 
nothing  was  done.  Some  time  later 
John  DeTurk  willed  two  acres  of  land 
for  school  purposes,  and  Samuel  Hoch 
willed  one  acre  adjoining  for  the  same 
purpose.  This  land  was  located  im 
mediateh'  east  of  the  church  land  giv- 
en l)y  ( leorge  jungman.  These  two 
bequests  were  made  to  John  Okely. 
of  Rethlehem.  the  real  esate.  agent  of 
the    .\l  oraxians.    whose    name    ap])ear> 


frecjuently  in  the  transfer  of  property 
in  which  these  people  were  interested. 
On  October  6,  1776,  John  Okely  con- 
veyed both  tracts,  three  acres  in  all. 
to  Daniel  Hoch,  great-grandfather  of 
Daniel  D.  Hoch,  now  rasiding  one- 
half  mile  north  of  the  place,  "for 
schools  for  the  education  of  the  youth 
of  both  sexes."  In  each  transfer 
there  was  the  nominal  consideration 
o\  five  shillings. 

Upon  this  ground  said  Daniel  Hoch 
and  others  erected  a  school  house  in 
the  same  year,  1776.  It  was  a  small 
log  building,  to  which  a  stone  addi- 
tion was  made  later.  In  this  building 
a  school  was  established,  and  main- 
tained during  man}-  years  imder  \ar- 
ions  auspices,  even  down  to  1873.  I'^)r 
a  long  time  it  was  under  the  fostering 
care  of  the  "^Moravian  School  Asscv 
ciation  in  Berks  County,"  which  had 
been  organized  for  this  purpose.  From 
1850  to  1872  the  ]jroperty  was  leased 
to  Olcv  township  for  school  purposes 
at  the  yearly  rental  of  $40.00.  In  the 
course  of  time  the  .Vssociation  named 
became  extinct.  The  last  teacher  of 
the  school  was  Mr.  U.  E.  Merkel.  now 
a  merchant  at  951  P'enn  street.  Read- 
ing, who  instructed  19  i)upils  during 
three   months   in    1873. 

In  1870  the  Legislature  passed  an 
act  appointing  Daniel  Wiest.  Jacob 
Hoch  and  Nathan  DeTurk  trustees  of 
the  "AIora\-ian  School  Association  in 
Uerks  County,"  and  authorizing  them 
to  sell  the  school  ])roi)erty  and  pay  the 
money  realized  therefrom  to  the  Oley 
Acadeni}^  which  had  been  started  in 
1857  with  40  students.  In  case  Oley 
Academy  should  be  discontinued  the 
monev  was  to  be  i)ai(l  to  the  Oley 
school  district.  Ikit  at  a  meeting  of 
30  citizens  28  x'oted  against  selling  the 
property,  and  thus  the  provisions 
Avere   not   carried   out. 

In  1878  the  old  school  house  was 
ijeniolished  and  a  frame  dwelling 
erected  in  its  ])lace,  wdi'ch  is  at  pres- 
ent occupied  by  Mr.  Newton  Correll 
at  the  annual  rental  of  $40.  The  old 
.Moravian  School  Association  having 
l(inu    since    becoine    extinct,    there    a')- 


THE  EARLY  MORAVIANS  IN  BERKS  COUNTY 


31 


l)ears  to  be  no  real  owner  of  this  house 
and  the  three  acres  of  land.  The  pro,)- 
erty  is  now  in  chare^e  of  three  trus- 
tees who  are  elected  by  the  citizens  of 
the  community,  one  each  year.  Any 
one  attending  the  meeting  on  the 
first  Saturday  of  May  may  vote  for  a 
trustee.  The  present  trustees  are 
Daniel  H.  Mover,  I'cnncville  Herbein 
and  Deniah  Leinbach.  Franklin  Y. 
Kaufman  is  the  treasurer.  The  trus- 
tees  do   not   report   to  anybody. 

The    Moravians   established   a   num- 


ber of  schools  at  various  places  at 
early  dates,  for  which  they  deserve 
much  credit.  These  schools  antedated 
by  it  at  least  ten  years  the  charity 
schools  established  by  Michael  Schlat- 
ter and  his  associates.  The  first 
school  established  by  the  Moravians 
was  that  in  Germantown,  which  was 
started  by  Count  Zinzendorf  on  May 
14,  1742,  with  25  girls  and  teachers. 
Mis  daughter  Benigna,  17  years  .of 
age.  was  one  of  the  teachers. 
(to  be  continued) 


The  German  Colonists 

By  Hon.  John  Wanamaker,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


NOTE  —  The  following  address  was 
spoken  into  a  ptionograpli  by  the  Hon.  John 
Wanamaker,  and  delivered  from  the 
phonograph  as  the  President's  Annual  Ad- 
dress before  the  meeting  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania-German Society,  at  Lancaster,  Pa., 
October  6,   1908. 

Lancaster,  above  all  other  towns 
within  the  borders  of  Pennsylvania, 
has  a  claim  upon  the  Society,  as  with- 
in its  ])orders  it  was  born.  Eighteen 
years  ago,  on  February  26,  1891,  six- 
teen representative  men  met  in  the 
Moravian  parsonage  and  concluded  to 
issue  a  call  for  a  general  convention 
to  be  held  at  Lancaster  on  the  15th  of 
the  following  April.  This  meeting  was 
held  in  the  Court  House,  and  was  call- 
ed to  order  by  W.  H.  Egle.  M.D.,  of 
Harrisburg.  After  the  organization, 
Hon.  Geo.  F.  Baer,  of  Reading,  was 
chosen  President.  It  is  from  this 
small  beginning  that  the  Society  has 
grown  to  be  an  important  factor,  with 
a  membership  of  almost  600,  and 
whose  influence  is  felt  in  most  of  the 
.Stales   of  our   L'nion. 

It  has  not  jjcen  so  many  years  ago 
since  I'ancroft.  the  historian,  said, 
s])eaking  of  the  Pennsylvania  Ger- 
mans, that  "neither  they  nor  their  de- 
scendants have  laid  claim  to  all  that  is 
their  ilue?"  W^ere  Bancroft  alive  now 
and  could  see  the  large  volumes  of 
critical  history  ])ublishcd  hv  our 
Societ\-    he    W'Uilfl    certaiidv     irive     us 


credit  for  what  the  organization  has 
done  and  say  that  we  have  opened 
the  eyes  of  tte  world  to  what  is  due 
to  the  early  German  settlers  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  their  descendants,  and 
what  they  have  accomplished,  and 
what  great  factors  the  Germans  were 
in  saving  the  provinces  for  the  Bri- 
tish during  the  French  and  Indian 
wars,  and  later  in  achieving  the  inde- 
jiendence  of  the  Colonies,  and  since 
that  time  have  always  been  prominent 
in  the  cotmcils  of  State,  as  well  as  in 
the  civil,  military  and  religious  affairs 
of  our  great  empire. 

This  and  much  more  is  shown  in 
the  publications  of  our  Society.  Eight- 
een large  octavo  volumes,  rcDlete 
with  documentary  text  and  rare  illus- 
trations, tell  the  story  of  the  German 
settlers  of  Pennsylvania  and  their  de- 
scendants. Besides  this,  they  obtain- 
ed more  tnatter  of  real  historical  re- 
search and  interest  than  those  pub- 
lished by  any  other  hereditary  - 
patriotic  societies. 

Lancaster  county,  the  birth])lace  of 
our  Sf)ciety,  is  known  as  the  garden 
spot  of  Pennsylvania,  and  as  a  strict- 
ly (lerman  county — and  it  was  within 
its  borders,  on  the  banks  of  the  roman- 
tic Cocalico.  where  the  first  Sabbath- 
school  was  organized  by  that  pious 
recluse.  Father  Obed  (Ludwig  Hoch- 
er),  of  the  Ephrata  community,  many 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


years  before  Robert  Raikes  thought  of 
iJI'athering-  the  children  together  on  the 
Lord's  Day  for  religious  instruction 
at  Gloucester,  England. 

As  a  previous  president  said,  "What 
a  glorious  heritage  for  us,  the  des- 
cendants of  German  ancestry,  to  lay 
claim  to  one  of  our  race  who  raised 
so  great  a  harvest  from  the  little  seed 
sown  here  in  such  a  noble  work." 

Among  the  achievements  of  the 
early  German  settlers  let  us  note  the 
first  Bible  in  a  European  tongue,  orig- 
inal hymiibooks  and  devotional  liter- 
ature, too  numerous  to  enumerate. 
Prior  to  the  Revolution  there  were 
more  printing  presses  operated  by 
Pennsylvania  Germans,  and  more 
books  published,  than  in  the  whole' of 
New  England. 

At  least  one-half  of  the  Governors 
of  the  Comonwealth,  ,froni  the  good 
and  honest  Simon  Snyder  to  the  brave 
and  cultured  Gen.  Adams  Beaver,  a 
honored  member  and  ex-President  of 
this  Society  have  come  from  pure 
Pennsylvania  German  stock. 

As  to  the  great  religious  factors 
among  the  early  German  settlers  in 
Pennsylvania  who  have  left  their  in- 
delible impress  upon  our  history  and 
development  it  is  but  meet  to  mention 
names  such  as  H.  H.  Bernard.  Koster- 
Henkel,  the  Aluhlenbergs,  father  and 
sons.  Count  Zinzendorf,  Conrad  Beis- 
sel,  ^Michael  Schlatter,  without  detri- 
ment or  perjudice  to  the  many  other 
l)ious  pioneers  who  ministered  and 
taught  here  during  the  colonial  period. 
"Hail,  future  men  of  Germanopolis." 
wrote  Francis  Daniel  Pastorius,  the 
founder  of  Germantown,  225  years 
ago,  as  ^'\'hittier  has  so  beautifully 
translated  this  earlier  pioneer's  Latin 
poem  : 
■'Hail    to    posterity  I 

Hail    future   meu    of   Germanopolis! 
Let   the   young   generations   yet   to   be 

Look   kindly   upon   this. 
Think    how    your    fathers    left    their    native 
land — 

Dear    German    land!       O.    sacred    heaits 
and    homes — 
And    where    the    wild    beast    roams 

In    patience    planned 
New   forest  homes  beyond   the  mighty  seas. 
There   undisturbed   and   free 
To   live  as  brothers  of  one  familv." 


Pastorius  and  his  brave  band  came 
to  America  in  response  to  William 
Penn's  appeal  to  the  people  of  the 
Rhineland  to  settle  on  his  great  crown 
tract  in   Pennsylvania. 

Penn's  mother  was  a  Hollander. 
Penn's  faith  was  the  faith  of  the  Men- 
nonites  of  the  Palatinate.  Penn  and 
Pastorius  were  great  friends.  They 
came  to  America  with  the  same  pur- 
pose in  view — to  found  a  new  home  of 
religious  and  civil  liberty.  Were  they 
alive  today  they  would  both  rejoice  in 
the  fulfillment  of  their  high  ideas. 

A  little  later,  in  1709,  came  to 
America  those  other  apostles  of  faith 
and  right  living — the  Mennonites  and 
Dunkers — who  settled  in  Lancaster 
county.  Here  they  found  the  richest 
soil  in  America,  and,  be  it  said  to  the 
honor  of  their  children,  and  their  chil- 
dren's children,  that,  although  living 
off  this  soil  for  200  years,  they  can 
hand  it  over  to  posterit}^  any  day  a 
soil  far  richer  than  they  found  it. 
These  religious  brethren,  by  their  sys- 
tem of  fixed  farming,  the  rotation  of 
crops,  have  taught  a  lesson  to  the 
world  in  production  and  economy  of 
wealth. 

Franklin's  criticism  of  the  early 
German  colonists  only  serves  to  show 
that  even  a  great  mind  may  essen- 
tially err  in  reading  other  minds. 
Franklin  complained  that  the  early 
Germans  wdVdd  not  learn  English : 
that  they  sent  home  to  their  Father- 
land for  so  many  books.  Yet  is  was  a 
German  who  cast  a  deciding  vote  in 
favor  of  English  when  the  question 
arose  whether  German  or  English 
should  be  the  ofificial  language  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Legislature.  And  Ger- 
man books  and  German  literature  have 
been  welded,  along  with  those  of  other 
tongues,  into  the  great  American 
literature  and  learning  of  to-day.  Per- 
ha])s  Friend  Benjamin  was  a  little 
afraid  of  what  might  become  of  his 
own  printing  business,  and  we  can  ex- 
cuse his  warped  judgment  in  this  one 
instance. 

Another  criticism  of  the  German 
Colonists — we  might  call  it  another 
fear — was   in   the   Avar     inr    independ- 


THE    GERMAN    COLONISTS 


ence.  ^^'(mld  the  Germans  be  loyal? 
Would  they?  Why,  notwithstanding 
their  a\ersion  to  war,  it  was  a  Ger- 
man eompany  that  was  the  first  to 
reach  General  Washington  after  his 
call  to  arms,  and  Baron  Steuben, 
yon  will  remember,  the  drillmaster. 
was  the  right  hand  man  of  Washing- 
ton. He  it  was  who  took  the  rough 
country  youth  and  hammered  them 
into  an  army.  Christopher  Ludwig — 
you  cannot  mistake  the  origin  of  the 
name — it  was  he  who  was  the  super- 
intendent of  bakeries  of  the  continen- 
tal Army —  Ludwig  whom  Washing- 
ton called  "my  honest  friend."  And 
it  was  the  German  farmers  of  Lan- 
caster county  and  other  German  agri- 
cultural districts  who  raised  the  grain 
that  saved  Washington's  army  from 
starvation  at  Valley  Forge. 

But  I  need  not  tell  you  what  you  all 
know,  how  the  Germans  have  grown 
their  very  lives  into  this  wonderful 
.American  nation,  from  the  very  day 
when  the  first  German  to  come  to 
to  America.  Peter  Minnewitt,  of  W^es- 
sel,  first  set  foot  on  American  soil,  in 
1626,  to  the  twd  davs  before  yester- 
day, when  the  great  body  of  German- 
Americans  largely  heloed  to  save  the 
country  from  the  hands  of  the  theor- 
ists, and  voted  to  send  to  Washington 
a  man  large  enough  in  mind,  as  well 
as  in  body,  to  fill  the  Presidential 
chair,  which  another  man  who  attends 
a  German  Reformed  Church  at  the 
Canital  is  soon  to  vacate  after  seven 
years  of  incessant,  honest  endeavor 
for  the  good  of  his  people. 

Count  Tolstoi  stopped  at  the  road- 
side once  and  asked  a  farmer  who  was 
ploughing:  "Friend,  what  would  you 
do  today  if  you  knew  positively  you 
would  die  tomorrow?"  The  farmer 
replied,  "I  would  keep  on  ploughing." 

I  would  keep  on  ploughing!  How 
inspiring  and  helpful  those  words!  I 
have  always  half  suspected  that  it  was 
a  German  who  utterd  them,  a  German 
who  had  slipped  into  Russia,  for  I  can 
almost  hear  the  same  words  falling 
from  the  lips  of  a  German  Mennonite 
<ir    Dunkcr,    li\-ing    along    the    Cones- 


toga  or  Cocalico.  just  as  you  hear 
these  words  from  my  lips  a  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  away  from  where  1 
actually  am  at  this  very  moment. 

Sincerely  regretting  that  I  cannot 
be  with  you  in  person  at  this  eigh- 
teenth annual  convention  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania German  Society,  I  rejoice 
that  I  can  even  speak  to  you  with  my 
own  voice  through  this  wonderful  in- 
vention of  Mr.  Edison.  And  I  am 
sure  that  you  will  be  glad  to  know 
that  Mr.  Edison  had  a  Dutch  father  to 
guide   and   inspire  him. 

Greetings  and  hearty  wishes  to  all 
our  members  and  to  our  hospitable 
friends  in  Lancaster. 

And  now  let  me  add  just  this:  The 
German  in  America,  as  in  the  Father- 
land stands  pre-eminently  for  three 
things  : 

First — F"aith  in  God. 

Second — Faith   in   the  home. 

Third — Faith  in  education. 
This  is  the  trinity  that  makes  nations 
great.  I  need  not  go  into  details. 
The  statement  is  self-evident.  What- 
ever ]jroblems  are  before  us  in  Amer- 
ica today,  or  will  face  us  in  the  future, 
must  be  solved  through  the  co-opera- 
tion of  these  three  forces,  the  church, 
the  home,  the  school.  These  factors 
enter  into  business,  into  the  profes- 
sions  into   our  ver}^   lives. 

I  hope,  before  my  business  days  are 
over,  to  join  education  with  a  man's 
day's  work,  thereby  dignifying  both, 
and  to  inculcate  in  the  minds  of  our 
people  the  Christian  principles  of 
right  living  and  just  dealing;  co-op- 
erating with  the  growing  boys  and 
girls,  men  and  women,  in  my  business 
life  is  building  and  improving  true 
home  life.  I  am  incorporating  a  Uni- 
^■ersity  of  Trade  and  Applied  Com- 
merce, which  Avill  teach  culture  for 
service,  giving  the  students  at  the 
same  time  a  chance  to  earn  not  only 
their  own  li\-elihood  but  to  advance 
themsehes  in  the  world  by  increasing 
their  own  earning  power  through 
academic  and  technical  education. 
This  is,  I  believe,  what  Pastorius 
would   do  were  .he    here    todav,    what 


34 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Penn  would  do,  what  Benjamin 
Franklin  did,  and  what  every  true 
American,  whether  German  or  Eng-- 
Hsh  will  do.  when  he  rio^htly  under- 
stands  humanity. 

My  earnest  wish  is  for  a  most  suc- 
cessful meeting  of  the  Pennsylvania 
German  Society.  If  I  might  venture 
any  advice,   it  is   this :   Elect  a   Presi- 


dent for  next  year  who  will  not  have 
to  box  up  his  voice  and  send  you  the 
|)oor  substitute  of  a  canned  speech, 
which,  however  wonderful  scientifi- 
cally in  the  transmission,  lacks  the 
heart  and  soul  of  the  personal  pres- 
ence of  the  man  looking  into  your 
friendly  faces. 


Albert  Gallatin,  Statesman 


LBERT  GALLATIN,  who 
was  born  in  Geneva, 
Switzerland,  on  January 
29,  1761,  and  died  at  As- 
toria, Long  Island,  on 
August  12,  1849,  ranks 
foremost  among  all  the 
statesmen  of  Western 
Pennsylvania  in  the  length  and  var- 
iety of  his  public  services  and  in  the 
honors  that  were  conferred  upon  him. 
Coming  to  our  country  in  1780  he  set- 
tled in  1784  on  George's  Creek,  Fay- 
ette county,  where  he  met  Washing- 
ton in  September  of  the  year.  In  1766 
he  bought  a  farm  of  400  acres  at 
Friendship  Hill,  near  New  Geneva, 
on  the  Monongahela,  in  the  same 
county,  on  which  he  resided,  when 
not  absent  on  official  duties,  for  about 
forty-two  years,  until    1826. 

Soon  after  coming  to  Pennsylvania 
Gallatin  became  an  active  participant 
in  the  political  movements  of  the 
time,  identifying  himself  with  the 
narty  of  Thomas  Jeflferson,  of  which 
lie  soon  became  a  leader.  He  was  a 
delegate  from  Fayette  county,  to  the 
Constitutional  Convention  of  1790. 
This  convention  was  composed  of 
very  able  men  and  Gallatin  took  a 
l>romient  part  in  its  deliberations.  He 
successfully  opposed  the  insertion  of 
the  word  "white"  as  a  prefix  to  "free- 
man" in  defining  the  elective  fran- 
chise. In  1790,  1791.  and  1792  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  General  As- 
sembly. In  1793,  when  not  thirty- 
three  years  old,  he  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  LTnited  States  Senate,  in 
which  he  served  from  December  2. 
1793.   to   February   28,    1794,    when   he 


was  declared  ineligible  because  he  had 
not  been  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States  for  a  period  of  nine  years  as 
was  required  by  the  Constitution.  He 
was  succeeded  in  the  Senatorship  by 
James  Ross,  of  Pittsburg,  a  Feder- 
alist. Gallatin  actively  opposed  the 
Whisky  Insttrrection  of  1794.  al- 
though at  first  sympathizing  with  the 
peaceable  opposition  to  the  excise  tax 
on  whisky.  In  that  year  he  was 
again  chosen  a  member  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  from  Fayette  cotmty. 
Iti  December,  1795,  he  took  his  seat 
as  a  member  of  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives of  the  Fourth  Congress, 
having  been  elected  by  a  most  com- 
plimentary vote  in  1794  from  the  dis- 
trict of  Allegheny  and  Washington, 
in  which  he  did  not  reside.  This  was 
a  great  honor.  In  the  House  he  at 
once  took  hig'h  rank.  Fie  was  three 
times  re-elected  a  Representative  in 
Congress,  in  1796,  1798  and  1800 
from  the  same  district  as  the  above 
mentioned,  Greene  county  having 
been  added  to  Allegheny  and  Wash- 
ington in  1796.  He  became  the  lead- 
er of  his  party  in  the  Hotise. 

From  1 801  to  1814  Mr.  Gallatin  was 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury  under  Jef- 
ferson and  Madison,  holding  the  posi- 
tion with  honor  to  himself  and  credit 
to  the  country,  for  a  longer  perir)d 
than  any  other  person  has  held  it 
from  the  foundation  of  the  Govern- 
ment. While  Secretary  of  the  Treas- 
ury he  was  the  ardent  and  influential 
friend  of  the  National  Road,  from 
Cumberland  to  the  West.  He  was. 
indeed,  the  author  of  the  scheme  for 
building  the  road.     In  a  speech  in  the 


ALBERT  GALLATIN,  STATESMAN 


35 


House  on  January  ly,  1829,  Andrew 
Stewart  said :  "Mr.  Gallatin  was  the 
very  first  man  that  ever  suggested  the 
plan  for  making  the  Cumberland 
Road."  In  a  letter  which  Gallatin 
himself  wrote  to  David  Acheson,  of 
Washington,  Pennsylvania,  on  Sept- 
ember I,  1808,  he  said  that  he  had 
"  with  much  difficulty  obtained  the 
creation  of  a  fund  for  opening  a  great 
western  road  and  the  act  pointing  out 
its  general  direction."  In  1809  Presi- 
dent Madison  offered  Gallatin  the 
l)ortfolio  of  the  State  Department, 
which  he  declined,  preferring  to  re- 
main at  the  head  of  the  Treasury  De- 
partment. 

In  1813,  while  still  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  Department,  Gallatin  was 
appointed  by  Madison  one  of  three 
commissioners  to  Russia,  the  Emperor 
Alexander  having  offered  his  services 
in  promoting  the  restoration  of  peace 
between  Great  Britain  and  the  United 
States.  Negotiations  to  this  end  fail- 
ing. Gallatin  was  api^ointed  in  the  fol- 
lowing year  one  of  five  commissioners 
to  treat  directly  with  Great  Britain, 
and  these  commissioners  signed  the 
Treaty  of  Ghent  in  December,  1814. 
It  is  claimed  by  his  biographers  that 
his  was  the  master  hand  in  the  pre- 
paration of  the  treaty.  In  February. 
1814,  Gallatin  ceased  to  be  Secretary 
of  the  Treasury.  In  1815  he  was  ap- 
pointed United  States  Minister  to 
France,  and  this  position  he  held  un- 
til 1823,  when  he  retvirned  to  the 
United  States  and  to  Friendship  Hill. 
In  1824  William  H.  Crawford,  Secre- 
tary of  the  Treasury  under  Monroe, 
was  nominated  for  the  Presidency  b}^ 
many  members  of  the  Republican 
party  of  that  day  and  Gallatin  was 
their  choice  for  the  Vice  Presidency. 
After  some  hesitation,  in  a  letter  writ- 
ten from  his  home  in  Fayette  county, 
he  finally  declined  to  be  a  candidate. 
In  May,  1825,  Governor  Shultze  of- 
fered Gallatin  the  position  of  Canal 
Commissioner,  which  he  declined.  In 
the  same  month  he  received  La  Fay- 
ette in  an  address  of  welcome  at 
I'niontnwu.   and    a   dav   or   two  after- 


wards escorted  him  to  Friendship 
Hill,  where  LaFayette  remained  over 
night. 

In  May,  1826,  President  Adams  ap- 
pointed Mr.  Gallatin  United  States 
Minister  to  Great  Britain,  and  this 
position  he  accepted.  His  special 
mission  to  Great  Britain  having  been 
accomplished  he  returned  to  this 
country  in  November,  1827,  although 
the  President  earnestly  desired  him  to 
remain.  In  1828  he  removed  his  resi- 
dence to  New  York  City,  where  he 
continued  to  reside  until  his  death. 
With  this  removal  his  active  connec- 
tion with  public  affairs  virtually  end- 
ed, although  in  1828  and  1829,  at  the 
instance  of  President  Adams,  he  de- 
\oted  much  time  and  his  great  ability 
to  an  exhaustive  study  of  our  troubles 
with  Great  Britain  concerning  the 
Northeastern  boundary,  and  this  sub- 
ject he  again  carefully  investigated. 
In  1840,  when  he  published  "an  elab- 
orate dissertation  upon  it,  in  which  he 
treated  it  historically,  geographically, 
argumentatively,  and  diplomatically," 
his  work  contributing  materially  to 
the  final  adjustment  of  the  contro- 
versy in  the  celebrated  Webster  and 
Ashburton  treaty  of  1842.  Subse- 
quently he  published  a  pamphlet  on 
the  "Oregon  Qeustion"  which  com- 
manded public  attention. 

In  183 1  Gallatin  was  chosen  presi- 
dent of  the  National  Bank,  of  NeAV 
York,  and  this  position  he  retained 
until  1839,  passing  with  great  credit 
through  the  most  trying  financial 
crisis  in  our  history.  He  was  succeed- 
ed in  the  presidency  by  his  son,  James 
Gallatin.  During  the  remainder  of 
his  life  Gallatin  was  active  in  many 
fields  of  usefulness.  In  1842  he 
founded  the  American  Ethnological 
Society.  In  1843  he  was  chosen  presi- 
dent of  the  New  York  Historical 
Society.  In  1844  he  presided  at  a 
mass  meeting  in  New  York  to  protest 
againt  the  annexation  of  Texas  as 
slave  territory,  and  in  1847  he  discus- 
sed the  whole  subject  of  the  annexa- 
tion of  Texas  in  a  pamphlet  "  Peace 
with    Mexico."      He    had    alwavs    held 


36 


ALBERT  GALLATIX,  STATESMAN 


"the  pen  of  a  ready  writer."  In  the 
early  years  of  his  Hfe,  as  also  in  the 
closing-  part  of  his  career,  he  made 
\aluable  contributions  to  the  discus- 
sion of  financial  and  scientific  ques- 
tions. When  he  died  in  1849  he  was 
far  adA-anced  in  his  89th  year. 

Gallatin  early  showed  commendable 
enterprise  in  encouraging  the  estab- 
lishment of  manufacturing  industries 
at  liis  new  home  in  Western  Pennsyl- 
vania. In  1796  or  1797  he  established 
at  New  (Teneva  one  of  the  first  works 
west  of  the  Alleghenies,  if  not  the 
first,  for  the  manufacture  of  window 
glass.  The  (jeneva  works  continued 
in  operation  ior  many  years.  In  1799 
or  1800  Gallatin  established  at  New 
Geneva,  in  company  with  Melcher 
I'aker,  a  practical  gunsmith,  a  factory 
for  making  muskets.  broadswords, 
etc..  \^•hicll  also  continued  in  operation 
lor  several  years,  which  at  one  time 
employed  between  fifty  and  one  hun- 
dred workmen.  After  these  works 
liad    been    in    operation    for   abc^ut   two 


years  Gallatin  withdrew  from  the 
partnership,  his  duties  as  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury  not  permitting  him  to 
give  the  enterprise  further  attention. 

Nearly  all  the  public  services  of  Gal- 
latin were  rendered  to  his  adopted 
country  while,  he  was  a  citizen  of 
Western  Pennsylvania,  and  these  ser- 
\-ices  were  of  an  exalted  character. 
\\'estern  Pennsylvania  soon  recog- 
nized his  great  ability,  and  the  distinc- 
tion it  cc^nferred  upon  him  brought 
him  the  nation's  recognition.  The 
whole  State  of  Pennsylvania  may, well 
l)e  proud  of  his  achievements  and  of 
his  unswerving  devotion  to  the  best 
interests  of  his  country.  He  was  not 
always  right,  as  his  opposition  to  our 
protective  tariff  policy,  but  even  in 
this  opposition  we  are  told  by  Judge 
Veech  that,  although  "his  free  trade 
])roclivities  were  fixed,  yet  he  did  not 
obtrude  them  in  his  States  papers." 
He  believed  in  a  rcAenue  tariff. 

prom  Swank's  Progressive  Penns}'!- 
vania. 


Grandmother's  Tales 


H.   W.   Kriebel,   Esq.,  • 

Dear  friend:  — 

I  venture  the  enclosed  effusion,  not  for  any  literary  merit,  for  I  am  aware  it 
possesses  none;  but  to  make  clearer  what  I  mean  when  I  have  the  temerity  to  sug- 
gest to  you,  that,  in  conversation  with  a  number  of  friends,  there  is  voiced  a 
sentiment  lamenting  the  lack  of  some  corner  in  our  literature  where  might  be  pre- 
served and  once  more  enjoyed  the  delectable  legends  and  tales  which  mother  or 
grandmother  entranced  our  young  imaginations  with  around  the  kitchen  hearth 
fire  during  the  long  winter  evenings,  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  hum  of  her  busy 
si)inning    wheel.     Suppose    we    call    it    a    corner    for    Grossmiitterchen    am    Feierheerd. 

How  does  the  suggestion  strike  you,  and  could  a  number  of  your  readers  be 
induced  to  contribute  to  that  corner,  if  established,  either  in  verse  or  prose,  some 
of  those  dear  old  fables  and  stories  that  I  believe  would  make  many  a  reader's 
heart  glow  again  with  the  keen  relish  of  youth,  and  soothe  many  a  woe  of  the  day's 
1  tattle  of  life,  as  once  they  healed  the  wounds    and    discouragements   of   childhoond? 

Pardon   the   intrusion,   and   utilize   the    suggestion  for  what  it  may  suggest  to  you. 

Very   cordially   yours, 

H.    A.    WELLER. 

GROSSMUTTERCHEN   AM   WINTER   OWETS   FEIRHERD— 

Erzaehlungun — Der    Schiitz    im    Bush    or    Die    Jagd    Noch'm    Gluck 

I^n   Schiitz  leid  mued'  im    liusli 

L'n    wart    fer's    \A'il])ert   kumrne, 

.'^ei  muede  Auge  blinke  druff". 

I'n'  er  is  wahrhaftiy'  eiijeschhiinniert. 


GRANDMOTHER'S    TALES  37 

Der  gansse  Daag  rumher  geloffe, 

Uewwer  Fels  un  Berg,  darch  heck  un    Dahl. 

Kenn  wnnner  is  er  so  eig'chlofe 

Dort  uf  em  Moos,  im  sunne  Strahl. 

Zwee  Foegel  hupse  in  dem  Keschte 

Grad'  iwwer  em   sclilacferige  "  ding,"  Acrschpeit ; 

Un'  iinnig  em   Schatte   l)rumme   die   Weschpe, — 

Sin  an   kenn   blessierliche   Nochbersleit. — 

En   Draehmlin   spncht   dort  drowwe  im  Gippel, 

Als  weiter  rnnner  darch's  keschte  Laab ; 

Now  jnmp])t's  vom  unnerschte  Nascht,  zum  Zi])pe] 

Uf'm  schlof-kop  seinere  wolHche  Capp. 

Sehn !  's  grawelt   ihm   nf  die   IJackke  nnnner, 
Un   schluppt   schneli    nnnig   sei    Ange-deckel : 
Verhehlt,  verstecht,  macht's  Unruh  kummer, 
Un'  mohlt  en  picten  mitt'me  Weddel 
Von  sunshei  un'  shatte  darcl^  ennaner, 
Uf'm  Schuetz  sei  Auge-appel  gar  schoe. 
Er  rnehrt  sich  rumm  als  haet  en  Jammer 
Ihn  fescht  gepettzt  in  mark  un  beh. 

Now  is  's  verbei, — die  Unruh  g'stillt, — 

'S  DraehmHn   is  ihm   in's  kenntniss  g'schHche : — 

Was  macht's   now  aus  wann  ah'n   Bender  brillt; — 

Von  aller  welt  is  ihm's  wisse  g'wiche. 

En   Schmunzelche  grawelt  ihm  iwwer  die  wange, — 

'S  wert  breeter  un  gluecklicher  alle  minnut — 

Er  streckt  die  haend  nous,  als  waer  eppes  vergange, 

Un's  G'sicht  werd  ihm  dunkel  wie'n  verlorhrener  Muth. 

Wass  f ehlt  ihm  ?  —  Wass  sehnt  er  ? —    • 

Wass  spuckt  ihm  des  Draehmlin  ins  herz  dief  ei? — 

Witt's  wisse?  —  Dann  kumm  in  der  Bush  her 

Un  sehn  wass  en  hexeli  so'n  Drahmch  kann  sei. 

'S  draehmt  ihm  en  Roselin,  so  bloo  wie  der  Himmel, 

Waeckst  iwwer'me  Dahl  im  a  berg-fels  nei, 

Un  wer  so  en  Roesechen  pflickt  dem  is's  gewimmel 

Unglueck  des  lewens  ver  ewig  verbei. 

Nord  draehmt's  ihm  's  wer  kenn  glueck  wie  sell  glueck 
Was  ehm  b'scheert  waer  wann  er  sell  Roschen  nur  haett; 
So  macht  er  sich  uff  un'  losst  alles  im  stich, 
Un'  wochel'ang,  monathlang  laafd  er,  bei  steck  un'  bei  heck, 
Dem  Berg  en'gege  woo's  bloo  Roschen  waeckst, 
Biss  sei  doth-muede  glieder  en  gar  nimme  drawge ; 
Nord  sehnt  er  dass  zwichig  ihm  un  em  Roschen  vehext 
En  diefy  Gluft  sperrt,  un'  er  fangt  aw  zu  glaage : 

So  weit  bin  ich  kumme  mei  glueck  mir  zu  finne. 

So  mued  bin  ich  worre,  ich  kann  ninimy  geh ; 

Un'  now,  wann  ich's  shier  haett  gebrocht  zum  gewinne. 

Muss  mer  im  weg  so  en  diefy  Gluft  steh. 

Wie  mach  ich's  doch?  —  Nivver  kann  ich  net  springe, 


38  GRANDMOTHER'S    TALES 

Un's   Roselin   dess  nickt  sich,  wie's  gruesse  wot  mich  ; 
Dort  steht's  steil  am   Berg, — Wer  kann   mich  hie  bringe? 
Mei  glueck  muss  ich  hawe.  sonst  bin  ich  im  stich. 

Oh,  wie  dief  is  die  Ghift !     Kenn  abgrund  dort  driinne. 

Uii'   dunkel   un'  schwartz,   's   vverd'mr  greislich   dabei  ! 

Hab  ich'mr  ball  herz  un  beh   do  abg'sprunge 

Um's  Roselin   zu  griege ;  —  now  is  alles  verbei  ! 

Haett'   ich    mei    kraefte    mir   g's]:)aart,    un    maessig   gelauscht, 

Dann  kennt  ich  die  Gluft  iwwer-springe.     Awer  seh. 

Die  kraefte  sin'  fort,  —  ich  bin  wie  berauscht, — 

Un'  alt  bin  ich  worre :  Ach.  weh !     Ach,  O  weh  ! 

So  glaagt  er,  now  alt>  un'  sei  haar  wie  der  Schnee, 

Un'  sehnt  sich  zurueck  an  der  dag  woo  er  naus, — 

En  ganss  junger  mensch,  wunner  lustig  un'  schoe, — 

Fer  schuesze  en  Wilpert  im   Bush  owwer'm   Haus. 

Die  zeit  is  verkumme,  sei  daage  sin'  hie, 

Der  weg  wo  er  kumme  is  glaen^zt  beeder  seits 

Mitt  glueckliche  daage  dass  er  so  versaeumt 

In  der  jagd  noch'me  Roselin  ;  un  weit  drowwe  leit's 

Un  lacht  ihm  ins  g'sicht,  —  so  butt's  ihm  gedraeuhmt. 

Awer  sehn  !     Uf'me  fellse,  dc^rt  iwwer  der  Gluft. 

Steht   en   holdschoene   g'stallt.     Un'   winkt   ihm    der   mann  : — 

Vertrau   mir.     Ich  helf  dir.     So  laut's  in   der  luft. 

Uewwer  die  sperrende  Gluft  streckt  sich  en  maechtiger  arm. 

Er  greift  fest  die  hand  die  sich  zu  ihm  hie  streckt, 

Un'  ruft,  Ich  vertfau  dier,  Oh  Jesu,  mei  Herr! 

In   mir  so  viel  suend  un   versaeumniss   doch  stekt, 

Ich   muss   mich   job   schemme.  —  dier   leid's   gemac.ht   schwer. 

A'erzei    mir.     Dem    Roschen.  —  dort    owwich    dir    steckt's, — - 

Bin   ich  lewelang  noch   un   hab  alles   versaeumt. 

Now  sehn  ich  was  in  der  jugend,  mit  rot  blut  verhetzt. 

Ich  so  oft  verschmaet,   un   mir  annerst  gedraeuhmt. 

Halt  fest,  Lieber  Jesu,  in  die  Gluft  will's  now  geh  ; 

Ich  gerricht   mich  aw   nimm}-  wann   dei  hand  mich  behalt: 

Druhm  loss  mei  versaeumte  zeit  mich  drohen  mit  weh. 

Ich  trotz  ihr,  —  ich   bin   fest.  Ich   kumm  niwwer  bald. 

Now  seht,  liewe  Kimier,  der  Schuetz  is  beglueckt ; 
Am   end   hott   er's   Roselin,  —  sei   glueck,  —  doch   gepflickt ; 
Awwer.  er  keent  wie  sei  duhens  sei  haerz  haett  verruckt 
AVann  er  net  noch  am  end  haett  der  Hiland  erbilckt. 
'S  Roselin   Ijleibt  ihm  now  ewig  zu  hand  : 
Er  is  gluecklich,  un'  herrlich  im  seege  verwandt ; 
Die  Welt  mit  ihr'm  laerm  haett  ihn  greislich  verbannt, 
Awwer  Jesu,  der  Ilerr,  fuert  ins  recht  \'aterland. 

H.  A.  WELLER. 
Orwigsburg,  Pa.,  November  Qth,   1908. 

Note:  We  hcpe  our  readers  will  take  the  cue  and  recount  for  the  pages  of 
THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  some  of  the  tales  they  have  heard.  Fireside 
Storeis  ought  to  become  a  valuable  feature  of  the  magazine  this  year..  Let  us  hear 
from   vou. — Editor. 


39 


THE  HOME 


Receipts  from  a  Grandmother's  Collection 


As  announced  in  our  November  issue  we 
take  pleasure  in  presenting  to  our  readers 
tlie  receipts  so  kindly  contributed  by  a 
Nebraska  subscriber.  For  obvious  reaisons 
she  prefei-s  not  to  have  her  name  appear  in 
connection  therewith.  This,  however,  does 
not  make  her  contribution  any  the  less  in- 
teresting or  valuable.  Among  other  things 
in  a  letter  to  the  Editor  of  this  Department 
she   says: 

"My  mother  who  was  Scotch,  could  never 
learn  to  read,  understand  or  speak  Ger- 
man and  as  she  appreciated  "Dutch  vit- 
tles,"  my  German  grandmother  made  for 
her  an  English  translation  of  the  receipts 
that   had    been    handed   down. 

"My  great-grandmother  kept  house  from 
1767  to  1811,  and  went  to  Philadelphia 
twice  a  year  for  the  supplies  she  could  not 
find  in  Lancaster.  She  distilled  her  own 
extract,  candied  orange  and  lemon  peel, 
ground  her  own  spices,  and  pounded 
things  in  a  mortar.  Her  cooking  of  course 
was  done  in  a  brick  oven,  and  her  roast- 
ing before  the  fire.  In  the  latter  part  of 
her  reign  she  doubtless  did  some  baking 
in  a  "ten  plate  stove,"  for  there  are  some 
rules  for  drop  cakes  and  cookies.  Some 
directions  are  minute — others  rather  vague. 
F^'or  instance,  "Sponge  Cake"  "10  Eggs — 
then  weight  in  fine  sifted  sugar,  half  their 
weight  in  fine  sifted  flour,  grated  rind  and 
juice  of  half  a  lemon,  beat  half  an  hour, 
and  put  in  the  oven  when  cool  enough." 
Now— how  is  one  to  tell  when  the  oven  is 
I'ight  for   sponge   cake? 

"I  think  the  recipe  for  'mince  pie'  is  the 
gem  of  the  collection.  Cook  tender  in 
slightly  salted  water  a  fresh  beef  tongue 
and  let  it  cool  in  the  liquor  it  was  boiled 
in.  When  cold,  skin  it,  take  about  2-3  its 
bulk  in  fresh  kidney  tallow  (suet)  and  cut 
all  fine  with  the  rocking  knife.  Now  weigh 
this,  and  take  the  weight  of  it  in  seeded 
raisins,  and  in  cleaned  currants.  Take  the 
weight  of  all  these  in  good  sour  pippins 
cut  fine,  1  whole  nutmeg  grated,  %-oz. 
each  of  ground  cinnamon  and  cloves,  the 
grated  rind  and  juice  of  2  lemons,  1  hand- 
ful each  of  candied  orange  and  lemon  peel 
cut  fine,  a  glass  of  current  jelly.  Wet  with 
the  best  of  cider  and  sweeten  to  taste  with 
soft  sugar.  Put  in  a  big  crock,  cover  with 
a  cloth,  and  when  it  begins  to  "crack"  it  is 
ready  to  use.  Serve  pies  hot.  and  just  be- 
fore serving,  put  a  tablespoon  full  of 
brandy  in  the  vent  of  each  one.  Of  course, 
the   cider   is   to  crack,   not  the  crock.     You 


see    she    knew    that    cooking    brandy    takes 
away  the  reason  for  using  it." 


SQUAB— TO  COOK 

Pick — singe  and  dress — Fill  with  cooked 
chestnuts  and  potatoes  in  equal  measure — 
and  allow  %-oz.  butter  to  each  bird; 
roast   before   a   good   fire. 

To  serve  with  this,  take  a  cup  full  of 
boiled  chestnuts,  a  cup  full  of  stoned  rai- 
sins cooked  in  just  enough  water  to  plump 
them.  Mix  and  pour  over  all  a  pint  of  wine 
(I  use  sherry).  Let  stand  over  night. 
Make  a  sauce  of  table  spoon  butter,  table- 
spoon flour,  and  the  wine,  drained  from 
the  nuts  and  raisins,  2-oz.  fine  sugar  and 
a  pinch  of  mace.  Boil  up  and  put  in  nuts 
and  raisins  and  boil  again  when  it  is  ready 
to  serve.  This  must  be*  commenced  a  day 
before  wanted. 

This  is  almost  too  good  to  be  true. 


ROAST   DUCK 


Dress  a  young  duck  and  rub  over  night 
with   salt   and    pepper. 

For  the  filling,  take  of  sour  stoned  rai- 
sins, currants,  chopped  sour  apple  and 
bread  crumbs,  a  small  handful  each,  and 
one  large  cooked  mealy  potato  mixed  with 
an  ounce  of  butter  while  hot.  Mix  all  to- 
gether, fill  duck  lightly,  sew  .up  vents, 
truss  into  good  shape  and  bake  before  a 
hot  steady,  fire.  Do  not  overdo.  Make  a 
gravy  by  browning  a  tablespoon  of  flour  in 
the  drippings,  adding  the  giblets  (which 
should  be  cooked,  and  pounded  fine  in  a 
mortar)  with  the  water  they  were  cooked 
in.     Boil  up  and  "it  is  done." 

Garnish  duck  with  thin  slices  of  lemon. 
Serve  with  this  a  compote  of  cherries  or 
currants. 


CHESTNUT   SOUP 

Boil,  hull  and  peel  a  quart  of  chestnuts. 
Melt  3-oz.  of  butter  in  a  pan,  and  toss  the 
nuts  about  in  it  for  a  few  minutes  but  do 
not  brown  them.  Then  add  2  quarts  good 
rich  veal  stock  and  let  the  nuts  boil  in  it 
until  very  tender,  when  they  must  be  put 
through  a  fine  sieve.  Boil  up  again — add  a 
))int  of  rich  sweet  cream,  a  teaspoonful 
of  fine  sugar,  a  pinch  of  cayenne  pepper 
and  salt  to  taste. 


40 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT 


The  Pennsylvania-German 

An  illustrated  monthly  magazine  devoted  to 
the  Biography,  History,  Genealogy,  Folklore, 
Literature  and  General  Interests  of  German 
and  Swiss  settlers  in  Pennsylvania  and  other 
States  and  of  their  descendants. 

Editorial  Staff 

H.  W.  Kriebel,  Publisher  and  Editor,  East 
Greenville,  Pa. 


Rev.    J.  A.    Scheffer,    Associate  Editor, 
245  North  Sixth  street,  Allentown,  Pa. 

Mrs.  H.  H.  Funk,  Editor  of  "The  Home," 
Springtown,  Pa. 

Prof.  E.  S.  GERHARD,_Editor  of  "Reviews 
and  Notes,"  Trenton,  N.  J. 

Price,   11.50  a  year,  in  advance  ;  15  cents 
per  single  copy. 

Additional    particulars    are    found    on 
page  2  of  the  cover. 


We  wish  all  our  readers  a  Happy 
and  Prosperous  New  Year.  While 
uttering  this  wish  we  are  also  making 
for  ourselves  a  firm  resolve  to  do  all 
we  can  to  please  and  entertain  you 
through  the  monthly  visit  of  THE 
PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN. 

The  publisher  and  editor  takes 
]jleasure  in  expressing  herewith  his 
appreciation  of  and  thankfulness  for 
the  valuable  services  rendered  by  Mrs. 
H.  H.  Funk,  of  Springtown,  Pa.,  and 
FVc^f.  E.  S.  Gerhard,  ofTrenton,  N.  J., 
tlie  past  year  in  the  editing  of  the 
magazine.  He  is  also  happy  to  be 
able  to  sa}^  that  the  readers  of  the 
magazine  will  have  the  benefit  of 
their  aid  the  coming  year.. 

The  addition  of  the  Rev.  J.  A. 
SchefTer,  of  Allentown,  Pa.,  to  the 
I'^ditorial  Staff  Avill  be  appreciated  by 
all.  His  becoming  a  co-worker  with 
us  will  mean  per  se  a  better  magazine, 
a  freer  hand  for  the  editor  and  pub- 
lisher, a  more  careftil  attention  to  the 
I)usiness  details  of  the  magazine.  His 
education,  experience  and  love  for  our 
special  field  of  work  fit  him  in  a 
l^eculiar  manner  to  render  valuable 
assistance. 

To  the  credit  and  honor  of  these 
workers  it  needs  to  be  stated  that  a 
sacrificial  love  for  the  cause  THE 
PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  stands 
for,  prompts  them  to  render  their 
royal  and  loyal  service.  They  with 
the  publisher  are  looking  for  the  day 
when  the  increased  circulation  of  the 
magazine    w\\\    bring    them    some    fair 


return    for    their    labor.     Reader,    will 
you  help  to  speed  the  day? 

Our  readers  are  requested  to  note 
carefully  the  revised  business  regula- 
tions as  given  on  page  2  of  the 
cover.  We  wish  mutual  trust  and 
co-operation  to  reign  in  otir  widely 
scattered  and  diversified  family  of 
readers.  We  believe  these  rules  if 
carefully  observed  will  make  the  con- 
duct of  the  business  more  easy,  more 
satisfactory,   more   economical. 

In  Aarious  previous  issues  reference 
was  made  to  the  proposed  ])ublication 
of  "  Death  Records."  While  the  sub- 
scription list  does  not  warrant  our 
contract  the  increased  expense  in- 
curred thereby  we  undertake  the  pub- 
lication of  such  records  in  this  issue 
cc^nfidently  expecting  a  sufficient  in- 
crease of  business  to  counterbalance 
the  additional  outlay.  What  the  out- 
come will  be  must  depend  in  great 
measure  on  the  reception  accorded 
this  attempt.  We  invite  frank  and 
free  criticism  of  the  plan  adopted  and 
considerate  forbearance  if  in  details 
our  judgment  does  not  always  com- 
mend itself  to  the  individual  reader. 
We  strive  to  serve  and  stand  ready  to 
accept  the  good  advice  of  our  readers. 

As  we  are  writing  these  lines  an 
inquiry  reaches  us  from  Connecticut: 
"  What  has  become  of  Dr.  Berge3''s 
Penna's.  in  Science,  etc?"  This  re- 
minds us  that  quite  a  number  of 
promised  articles  have  not  been  pub- 
lished. These  promises  were  made 
in  good  faith  by  publisher  and  contri- 
butor and  will  be  met  as  soon  as  cir- 


EDITORIAL    DEPARTMENT 


41 


cunistances   permit.  The  contributions  tell   your   friends    that    the}'    can    get 

arc  deferred  but  not  forgotten.  this  and  three  additional  numbers  for 

All     orders    for  this    issue    can    be  2c^  cents  as  a  trial  subscription.  NOW 

filled  during  January.     Do  not  fail  to  is  the  time  to  subscribe. 


Clippings  from  Current  News 


— A  bronze  tablet,  3  by  4  feet,  in  a  granite 
boulder  of  eight  tons  and  6  feet  high,  com- 
menoratiug  the  services  of  John  Jacob 
Mickley  and  Frederick  Leaser,  who  hauled 
the  Liberty  Bell  from  Pihladelphia  in  1777 
to  Allentown  to  be  held  in  Zion  Reformed 
Church  during  Howe's  occupancy  of 
Philadelphia,  was  unveiled  November  19, 
in  front  of  the  present  church.  Governor 
Stuart  was  unable  to  attend.  State  Treas- 
urer, John  O.  Sheatz,  was  the  orator.  An 
address  was  made  by  Mrs.  Donald  McLain, 
president  general  of  the  Daughters  of  the 
American  Revolution,  tinder  whose  ausp- 
ices the  unveiiing  took  place,  the  State 
having  appropriated  $1000  to  pay  for  the 
tablet.  Mrs.  Allen  P.  Perley,  State  regent 
presented  the  tablet,  which  was  accepted 
by  Major  H.  H.  Herbst  and  Pastor  H.  M. 
Klein.  The  tablet  was  unveiled  by  9- 
year-old  Edwin  John  Jacob  Mickley,  a 
descendant  of  one  of   those  honored   today. 

The  inscription  is  as  follows  : 
"In  commemoration  of  the  saving  of  the 
Liberty  Bell  from  the  British  September. 
1777.  Erected  to  the  memory  of  John 
Jacob  Mickley,  Commissary  of  Issues  and 
member  of  the  General  Committee  from 
Whitehall  township,  Northampton  County, 
.  Pa,,  who  under  cover  of  darkness  and  with 
his  farm  team  hauled  the  Liberty  Bell 
from  Independence  Hall,  Philadelphia, 
through  the  British  lines  to  Bethlehem, 
where  the  wagon  broke  down,  September 
23,  1777.  The  bell  was  transferred  to 
Frederick  Leiser's  wagon  and  brought  to 
Allentown,  September  24,  1777.  It  was 
placed  beneath  the  floor  of  Zion  Reformed 
Church,  where  it  remained  secreted  for 
nearly  a  year.  This  tablet  is  placed  by  the 
order  of  the  Assembly  of  the  Commonwealth 
of  Pennsylvania,  June  2,  1907,  under  the 
Auspices  of  the  Pennsylvania  Daughters  of 
the  American  Revolution.  Mrs.  Alfred  P. 
Saeger,  chairman;  Miss  Minnie  F.  Mickly, 
secretary;  of  the  Jacob  Mickley  memorial 
committee,  appointed  by  Alice  P.  Perley. 
State  Regent  of  Pennsylvania,  U.  S.  D.  A. 
R." 

— Commemorable  of  General  Andrew  At- 
kinson Humphreys  and  the  Pennsylvania 
troops  who  fought  on  the  battlefield  here 
in  the  60s.  a  monument  was  unveiled  in 
the  Fredericksburg  National  Cemetery, 
November  11. 


President  Baer,  of  the  Reading  Reail- 
way,  who  heads  the  Fredericksburg  Mem- 
orial Commission  of  Pennsylvania;  Gover- 
nor Stuart  and  Staff  and  Rear  Admiral 
Winfield  Scott  Schley  were  among  those 
who  participated. 

About  1500  Pennsylvanians,  principally 
Federal  veterans,  marched  in  parade. 

Mr.  Baer  presided  at  the  ceremonies. 
Major  Robert  W.  Hunter,  represented  Gov- 
ernor Swanson,  of  Virginia,  and  Judge  J. 
T.  Goolrick  spoke  for  the  Confederate 
Veterans,    Governor    Stuart   responding. 

The  monument  was  unveiled  by  Miss 
Letitia  Humphreys,  daughter  of  the  Gen- 
eral, Assistant  Secretary  of  War  Oliver, 
on  behalf  of  the  United  States  Government, 
received  the  monument  from  Governor 
Stuart.  Colonel  A.  K.  McClure,  of  Phila- 
delphia,   delivered    the    oration. 

— The  following  from  an  exchange  is  an 
interesting  comment  on  American  elec- 
tions: 

The  quadrennial  election  in  the  United 
States  is  by  far  the  most  impressive  ex- 
hibition of  popular  government  given  the 
world  to  witness.  Compared  with  it  all 
elections  in  other  countries  are  mere  kin- 
dergarten lessons  in  popular  suffrage.  In 
Great  Britain,  where  a  property  qualifica- 
tion prevails,  the  total  number  of  votes 
cast  at  the  last  election  for  members  of 
Parliament  was  5,601,406.  In  Germany, 
where  members  of  the  Reichstag  are  elect 
ed  by  universal  suffrage,  there  were  9,- 
495,000  votes  cast  at  the  last  election.  In 
France  where  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  is 
elected  by  universal  suffrage,  there  were 
at  the  last  enumeration  10,231,532  voters, 
of  whom  only  7,657,429  voted.  Australia 
and  New  Zealand  have  liberal  election  laws, 
but  the  population  is  comparatively  small. 
Elections  in  these  countries  do  not  include 
the  heads  of  government  and  are  in  all  re- 
spects tame  affairs.  The  United  States  has 
a  population  in  round  numbers  of  90,000.- 
000,  with  nearly  15,000.000  voters.  The 
total  vote  for  President  in  1904  was  13,528.- 
979,  and  this  year  it  doubtless  approximatde 
15,000,000.  The  impressiveness  of  our  elec- 
tion is  enhanced  by  the  fact  that  every 
voter  votes  for  officers  from  the  President 
of  the  United  States  down  to  township 
trustees  and  that  all  the  voting  is  done  in 
one   day.     That    so   gigantic    an    exercise   of 


42 


CLIPPINGS   FROM   CURRENT  NEWS 


Ijopular  suffrage  can  be  made  with  so 
little  friction  the  results  acquiesced  in  so 
readily  by  all  parties  is  splendid  evidence 
of  the  wisdom  of  the  framers  of  our  poli- 
tical system  and  of  the  orderly  and  law- 
abiding  spirit  of  our  people. 

— Oscar  Hammerstein,  born  in  Berlin, 
Germany,  landed  at  Castle  Garden  at  the 
age  of  15  witli  17  cents  in  his  poclvet  and 
a    determination    to    succeed    in    his    breast. 

His  first  post  was  as  a  cigarmaker,  at 
$2  a  weeli.  This  was  raised  in  time,  but 
meanwhile  the  adroit  youngster  had  plan- 
ned a  machine  which  could  do  his  work 
quicker,  and  more  acceptably.  This  he  per- 
fected, patented,  and  sold.  With  its  pro- 
ceeds he  made  liis  fortune.  With  his  for- 
tune he  has  made  himself  a  power  in  the 
musical  world,  has  assembled  a  splendid 
coterie  of  singers  in  his  theatres  and  opera 
houses,  and  has  built  more  houses  for  his 
pi-oductions  than  any  other  man  in  this 
country. 

His  new  opera  house  in  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  erected  in  five  months'  time  under  the 
direction  of  his  son  Arthur,  and  opened 
November  17  is  said  to  be  the  finest  build- 
ing of  its  kind  in  the  world.  The  Public 
I.,edger  said   of  it  editorially  November  IS: 

The  triumphant  opening  of  the  new 
Philadelphia  Opera  House  is  an  event  of 
even  more  importance  in  the  history  of 
Philadelphia  than  was  the  famous  dedica- 
tion of  the  Academy  of  Music  half  a  cen- 
tury ago.  It  marks  more  than  a  half  cen- 
tury's advance  in  civic  development.  In 
an  astonishingly  short  time  Mr.  Hammer- 
stein has  created  here  a  great  theatre, 
whose  proportions  and  equipment  would 
make  it  a  centre  of  attraction  in  any  Jocal- 
ity,  and  in  it  he  has  established  a  perma- 
nent operatic  organization,  with  a  truly 
wonderful  list  of  great  artists  at  his  com- 
mand, whose  presentation  of  grand  opera 
will  be  of  a  standard  unexcelled  in  any 
capital  in  the  world.  He  is  doing  this 
without  any  subvention  of  any  kind,  rely- 
ing wholly  upon  the  merit  of  his  work  to 
command   the   support  of  the  community. 

— Rev.  Samuel  G.  Wagner,  D.D.,  was 
born  October  4th,  1831.  His  father  was 
the  Rev.  Henry  Wagner.  His  paternal 
grandfather  and  maternal  great-grand- 
father came  to  this  country  from  Germany. 
Dr.  Wagner  spent  his  boyhood  in  Lebanon, 
Pa.,  where  he  attended  the  local  academy. 
He  graduated  from  Marshall  College  in 
1850,  being  the  salutatorian  of  his  class. 
In  the  same  class  were  the  late  Thos.  G. 
Appel  and  the  late  Dr.  C.  Z.  Weiser.  After 
completing  the  theological  course  in  the 
seminary  at  Mercersburg  he  was  for  two 
years  associated  witli  the  Rev.  C.  Z.  Weiser 


in  conducting  the  academy  which  remained 
at  Mercersburg  after  Marshall  College  was 
removed  to  Lancaster  and  there  united 
with  Franklin  College.  In  the  summer  of 
1855  he  became  pastor  of  Boehm's  Church 
and  Whitemarsh  Church  in  Montgomery 
County,  where  he  remained  until  May  1868, 
when  he  was  called  to  St.  .Tohn's  Church, 
Allenton.  He  was  pastor  of  this  church 
for  a  period  of  thirty-six  years,  until  his 
retirement  from  the  active  ministry,  July 
1st,  1904.  Thus  his  long  service  of  forty- 
nine  years  in  the  Christian  ministry  com- 
prised only  two  pastorates,  which  is  one 
evidence  of  the  affection  that  always  ex- 
isted between  him  and  his  people.  About 
fifteen  years  ago  he  was  instrumental  in 
organizing  Trinity  Reformed  Church 
in  the  western  part  of  Allentown,  and  he 
also  encouraged  other  mission  churches 
and  aided  the  remarkable  extension  of  the 
Reformed   faith   in   that  city. 

Dr.  Wagner  served  the  Reformed  Church 
long  and  well  in  many  important  i^ositions. 
He  was  frequently  a  delegate  to  the  East- 
ern Synod,  and  served  as  president  of  the 
former.  He  was  for  thirty  years  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Franklin 
and  Marshall  College,  and  for  nearly  the 
same  length  of  time  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Visitors  of  the  Theological  Semi- 
nary at  Lancaster,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  the  president  of  the  latter  Board.  He 
was  at  various  times  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Education  of  Eastern  Synod,  of 
the  Board  of  Home  Missions  and  of  the 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  From  1S68  to 
1875  he  was  an  instructor  in  the  Allen- 
town  College  for  Women,  and  for  years  a 
member  and  president  of  its  Board  of 
Trustees. 

In  1880  the  honorary  degree  of  D.D.  was 
conferred  upon  Dr.  Wagner  by  Franklin 
and  Marshall  College. 

In  1859  he  was  married  to  Miss  Rebecca 
Earnest,  of  Norristown,  who  died  Decem- 
ber 1st,  1900.  Four  children  were  born  to 
them,  three  of  whom  died  in  early  child- 
hood. The  fourth  is  the  Rev.  C.  E.  Wag- 
ner, who  since  1893  has  been  professor  of 
English   at   Franklin   and   Marshall    College. 

For  several  years  after  his  retirement  in 
1904  Dr.  Wagner  continued  to  live  in  Al- 
lentown amongst  the  people  to  whom  he 
had  ministered  for  a  generation.  Then 
came  failing  health,  and  for  the  remaining 
days  of  his  life  he  made  his  home  with 
Professor  and  Mrs.  Wagner  in  Lancaster, 
where  he  died  October  30,  1908.  Funeral 
services  and  interment  were  held  in  Allen- 
town,   Pa.     — Reformed   Church    Messenger. 


43 


The    Forum 


>EW  YEAR'S  SHOOTERS 

NOTE. — The  following  lines  condensed 
from  a  letter  in  the  "Reformite  Kirchen 
Zeitung"  of  Jan.  15,  1850  give  us  a  glimpse 
of  a  custom  among  the  Germans  through 
the  eyes  of  an  observer  60  years  ago.  The 
habit  of  getting  "full"  on  such  occasions 
was  more  prevalent  probably  at  that  time 
in   Pennsylvania  than  the  writer  intimates. 

I'Lsteemed  Air.  Schnieck: 

To  you  and  yours,  your  co-workers 
in  the  printinji:  office  to  the  readers  of 
the  Kirchenzeitung,  the  "Messenger" 
and  all — A  Happy  New  Year.  The 
wish  is  well  meant  even  if  belated :  if 
it  is  fulfilled  it  is  still  in  time. 

It  so  happened  that  I  spent  my 
New  Year  in  a  German  congregation 
and  here  I  had  the  first  time  the 
honor  (for  an  honor  it  was  intended 
to  be)  to  have  a  New  Year  opened 
1)}^  shooting.  To  the  honor  of  the 
])articipants  stated  it  must  be  that  the 
])roceedings  were  proper  and  orderly. 
l-'irst  a  very  short  prayer  in  the  form 
of  New  Year's  Greetings  was  uttered 
for  the  family:  then  followed  a  "Rev. 
^^^  we  wish  you  a  happy  New  Year, 
health  and  long  life,  and,  not  to  startle 
us  unexpectedly  or  impolitely  with 
shooting  they  asked  whether  they 
might  shoot.  This  was  becoming  and 
])roper.  After  a  short  pause  there  fol- 
lowed a  "bump  !  bump  ! !  bump  ! ! !" 
The  shooting  must  be  sanc- 
tioned. One  can  not  expect  3^oung 
people  to  walk  about  2,  3  or  4  hours 
at  night  to  pray  for  people  and  wish 
them  well  without  allowing  them  the 
l)leasure  of  burning  some  powder. 

But  what  I  want  to  say  is  I  have 
lieard  that  on  such  occasions  it  often 
happens  that  cider,  whiskey,  etc.  are 
given  so  that  after  an  hour  or  two 
their  heads  swim,  resulting  naturally 
in  disorderly  conduct.  Against  this 
1  want  to  protest  (In  A'-our  old  Penn- 
sylvania such  things  do  not  happen  ; 
}-our  peo])le  are  better  educated).  So 
far  as  I  am  aware,  this  does  not  hap- 


])en  in  ni}'  own  church,  for  people  be- 
gin to  realize  that  one  can  live  better. 
work  better,  erect  houses  and  barns 
more  cjuickly,  more  safely  and  better 
without  than  with  whiskey. 

The  New  Year's  Greeting  made  a 
favorable  impression  upon  me.  The 
earnest  tone  of  the  speaker  may  m 
part  have  caused  this.  It  took  a  long- 
while  until  I  fell  asleep  again.  *  * 
I  desire  to  add  that  as  long  as  I  was 
among  Germans  no  one  asked  a  New 
Year's  Gift  of  me;  among  English 
young  people  hardly  any  New  Year's 
Greetings  are  heard,  but  instead  a 
continuous  calling  for  Christmas 
gifts  and  New  Years  Gifts.  Such  an 
impolite  begging  is  distasteful  to  me. 
The  German  custom  pleases  me  bet- 
ter. Yours, 

SOUTHERN  OHIO. 

*  4«    «!• 

^Voinelsdorflf    and     Nuuneniaoher     Families 

P.  E.  Womelsdorff,  Mining  Engineer, 
Philipsburg,  Pa.,  is  endeavoring  to  trace 
up  his  ancestors  the  Womelsdorffs  and  the 
Nunnemachers  who  settled  near  Berne 
or  Womelsdorf,  Pa.,  prior  to  1764  and  who 
were  connected  by  marriage  with  Conrad 
Weiser's  family.  Any  information  placed 
at  his  disposal  will  be  greatly  appreciated. 

*  4*     * 

Reprints  of  Song:  and  Music  Requested 

A  subscriber  in  Hooverville.  Pa.,  suggests 
the  desirability  of  reprinting  the  music 
and  words  of  the  cradle  song:  Weist  du 
wie  yiel  Sterne  stelien?  which  appeaed  in 
the  issue  for.  November,  1908.  We  shall  be 
pleased  to  learn  whether  there  are  other 
subscribers  who  take  a  like  interest  in  the 
same  and  would  support  an  ei¥ort  to  re- 
publish  it.. 

*  •!•     4" 

Steiner-Fryberger  Family 

Miss     Elizabeth     Fryberger,     Philipsburg, 

Pa.,   desires    the    dates    of    birth,    marriage 

and  death  of  the  forbears  of  the  following: 

(1)   .Tacob    Fulmer    Steiner,    of   Montgomery 

County.   Pa.,  born  Aug.   25,   1808    (?),   son 

of  John,  born  Feb.  17.  1799    (son  of  John 

and   Elizabeth)    and   Christena. 


44 


THE   FORUM 


Fulmer  born  Sept.  1,  1801  (daughter  of 
Daniel    and    Catherine    Fulmer). 

(2)  Jonathan  Freiberger,  of  Berks  County. 
Pa.,  born  Dec.  14,  1808,  died  July  25,  1871, 
son  of  Philip  and  Elizabeth   (nee  Shaffer) 

Freiberger. 

(3)Sarah  Moyer,  of  Berks  County, Pa.,  mar- 
ried to  Johann  Freiberger  March  12,  1834. 
born  June  13,  1817,  died  Dec,  1907. 
daughter    of    George     and     Barbara     (nee 

Fisher )    Moyer. 

4.     .J    4. 

The  Geriiian  Fanner 

A  York  County  subscriber  has  expressed 
himself  as  follows  respecting  the  German 
farmer  of  Revolutionary  days: 

De  Pennsylvanisch  Deitscha  bauera  siu 
youst  sc  gute  lent  os  die  welt  hut.  Sie  sorge 
for  die  Sache  wu  leib  un  seei  zusamma  holt. 
Zu  sellera  zeit  warre  die  Yankeys  do:  die 
hen  dar  kop  voll  larning  un  en  patearecht 
for  Ihre  Gesheitheit  und  wie  der  Washing- 
ton kumme  is  sin  die  deitsche  bauera  mit 
nn  hen  die  Yankeys  verdult  rum  gaglubt 
un  sie  wara  au  net  verzagt:  sie  hen  sie 
zum  Schinner  geyagt  and  hen  ihre  freiholt 
be  holte  wu  mer  jets  gans  dankbar  sei 
sutta.  Wann  sella  mol  en  mon  geld  geva 
bet  wella  for  stimme  waer  gsagt  werra:  — 
Du  bust  meh  geld  wie  Verstand. 

*     *     <• 

A   Word  of   CoiiiiueMdation 

We  thank  our  Germantown  brother  for 
the  following  lines.  We  should  be  pleased 
to  have  him  relate  some  of  his  school  ex- 
periences. 

Although  not  a  German  nor  in  any  way 
directly  connected  with  the  German  race 
except  by  a  remote  descent  through  the 
line  of  Adam.  I  am  nevertheless  connected 
with  it  in  a  sympathetic  sense  by  having 
lived  on  a  farm  among  the  "Pennsylvania 
Dutch"  and  having  attended  an  old-fash- 
ioned country  "Dutch"  school  for  several 
years,  I  came  to  greatly  admire  and  love 
them  for  their  many  sterling  ({ualities.  So 
I  yet  love  to  mingle  freely  with  them,  and 
although  removed  from  the  scenes  of  my 
childhood,  I  yet  live-  in  thought  among 
them.  *  *  *  You  are  doing  a  most 
commendable    work.        *     *     * 

4»    *     * 

The    <Md    Fashioned   "Singiiip-    School" 

A  subscriber  in  the  District  of  Coluni- 
l)ia  suggests  a  theme  for  an  article  in  the 
following  lines.  Who  will  take  up  the  sub- 
ject? 

German  Cradle  Song  by  Croll  suggests 
music.  Much  has  been  said  of  the  old  time 
schools  but  there  is  another  i!)stitu(i(ui 
deserves  an  article  in  your  magazine — that 
irt.  the  old  fashioned  "singing  school."  Tf 
still    !i\iHg.    Prof.    Samuel    Riegel,    of   Leba- 


non, Pa.,  could  do  this  subject  justice. 
There  are  several  pieces  of  music  of  local 
character  you  hear  occasionally,  to  the 
tune  of  "Simon  Schneider."  What  is  this 
tune?  Also  "Kutztown"  jig  or  hornpipe, 
etc. 

4"    4»     * 

Information  Wanted : 

of  the  father  and  descendants  or  family  of 
the  late  Sebastian  Weidman,  of  Codorus 
Township,  Pennsylvania,  who  i  n  1761 
bought  of  James  Web  and  his  wife  Hannah. 
100  acres  of  land  in  Hempfield  Township. 
Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  and  in  1767,  sold 
84  acres  of  said  land  to  Henry  Bare. 

In  1789  he  made  a  will,  and  when  he 
died  it  is  supposed  that  he  left  three  sons, 
Henry.  Jacob  and  John  and  a  widow  nam- 
ed Elizabeth.  His  executors  were  Freder- 
ick  Munima    and    Deiter    Brubaker. 

Any  information  sent  to  Rev.  A.  J.  Fretz. 
Milton  P.  O.,  New  Jersey,  will  be  thank- 
fully  received. 

J.  L.   W. 
St.   Jacobs,  Ontario,  1908. 

4»    4»     * 

FOR  THE  JOKE  BOOK 

— During  a  financial  panic,  according  to 
a  contemporary,  a  German  farmer  went  to 
a  bank  for  some  money.  He  was  told  that 
the  bank  was  not  paying  out  money,  but 
was  using  cashier's  checks.  He  corM  not 
understand  this,  and  insisted  on  money. 

The  officers  took  him  in  hand,  ou'^  after 
another,  with  little  effect.  At  last  the  presi- 
dent tried  his  hand,  and  after  long  and 
minute  explanation,  some  inkling  of  the 
situation  seemed  to  be  dawning  on  the  far- 
mer's mind.  Much  encouraged,  the  presi- 
dent said: 

"You  understand  now  how  it  is,  don't 
you,    Mr.    Schmidt?" 

"I  t'ink  I  do,"  adimitted  Mi',  Schmidt. 
"It's  like  dis,  ain't  it?  Ven  my  babv  vakes 
u])  at  night  and  vants  some  milk,  I  gif 
him   a  milk  ticket." 

— A  professor  in  the  University  of  Ber- 
lin, who  came  to  this  country  a  year  ago. 
was  much  surprised,  according  to  a  story 
which  President  Hadley  contributes  to  the 
Yale  Alumni  Weekly,  when  he  traveled  in 
a  sleeping-car,  to  be  askel  by  the  porter 
for  his   berth  ticket. 

"My  birth  ticket?"  he  sa-id.  "I  have  my 
l)assport,  I  have  my  letter  of  credit,  and  T 
have  even  in  my  trunk  my  certificate  of 
vaccination,  but  why  the  railroad  should 
want   my   birtli  ticket   I   do  not  see." 

"But."  said  the  porter,  "  I  must  know 
whether    you    have    u])i)er    or    lower    berth." 

"Upper,  of  course!"  said  the  German. 
"Look  at  my  passport.  Does  it  not  say. 
"Well   and   highly   born?" 


THE   FORUM 


— This  is  how,  eighty  years  ago,  a  cer- 
tain minister,  in  a  certain  place,  closed  his 
farewell    sermon: 

"Noch   emol,   noch   emol,   ich   sage  euch 
(Jelt     regiert     die     Welt:     Diimmheit,     ener 
Deich; 

Besunders   die   K ly,   die   valley   draiis, 

Ehne    laht   die    Dummheit   die   Ohre    raus. 
Als   Kelver   hab   ich    euch   a'gretroffe. 
Ais   Oxe   diihn   ich   euch   jetzt   verlosse. 

Amen.      Lost   uns   bete!" 

— A  minister  in  entering  the  home  of  a 
church  member  heard  the  wife  say:  "Here 
comes  the  minister:  this  visit  does  not  suit 
me  at  all."  She  welcomed  him  however 
and  urgently  requested  him  to  stay  saying 
she  would  prepare  a  chicken  dinner.  He 
stayed,  dinner  came;  so  did  the  chicken. 
On  leaving  he  passed  a  boy  of  the  family 
sitting  by  a  hen  coop  sobbing  and  petting 
a  young  chicken.  To  his  inquiries  the  boy 
in   tears    replied:    '"Eys   bieble   hut   ka   Mam 


meh:  du  hust  sie  g'fressa  fer  Mittag."  (The 
chicken  has  no  mother:  you  devoured  her 
for   dinner). 

— A  minister  brother  of  large  mental  and 
|)hysical  capacity  transmits  the  following: 
Saddle  your  Pegasus  again,  brother,  our 
readers  will  enjoy  your  poetic  effusions. 

In  token   dot  I'm   glad  we  met 
I    send   to   you   this   Cardlet 
And    hope    we   may    already   yet 
Some    time    again    togedder    get. 
In    the    counties   settled    by    the   Pennsyl- 
vania    Germans     stone     arch     biidges     for 
roadways   across   streams   were  built  at  an 
early    date.      In    the    remote    timbered    sec- 
tions  wooden   bridges    were   constructed  be- 
cause they   were  cheaper.     The   stone   arch 
is    so   durable,    however,   that   it   is    coming 
into    favor    everywhere,    with     this     differ- 
ence— that      the      modern     bridge     arch     is 
being  bulit  of  concerete. 


Meeting  of  Pennsylvania-German  Society 


The  Pennsylvania-German  Society,  one 
of  the  largest  and  most  active  historical 
organizations  in  the  country,  assembled  in 
Lancaster,  Pa.,  Oct.  6,  1908,  from  all  sec- 
tions of  the  Commonwealth  to  attend  the 
eighteenth  annual  convention.  The  session 
was  held  in  the  Franklin  and  Marshall 
college  chapel,  which  was  filled  with  the 
visitors  who  included  many  men  of  promi- 
nence in  the  State. 

The  one  feature  of  disappointment  ex- 
])erienced  ■  was  the  absence  of  the  Presi- 
dent, Hon.  John  Wanamaker,  of  Philadel- 
phia, whose  physician  forbids  his  presence 
at  i)ublic  functions  at  this  time.  The 
chair,  however,  was  excellently  filled  by 
the  Vice  President,  James  M.  Lamberton, 
Esq.,  of  Harrisburg,  who  called  the  meet- 
ing to  order,  and  introduced  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Theodore  E.  Schmauk,  of  Lebanon.  The 
latter  delivered  an  eloquent  invocation. 

The  visitors  were  then  extended  a 
warm-hearted  welcome  by  Rev.  Dr.  J.  S. 
Stahr.  "You  are  welcome,"  he  said,  "to 
the  hearts  and  homes  of  Lancaster."  He 
si)cke  of  the  befitting  compliment  paid  to 
this  city  in  giving  it  an  opportunity  to 
again  welcome  the  society,  as  it  was  born 
in  this  citj'.  Dr.  Stahr  also  welcomed  the 
Germans  to  the  college  and  kindred  insti- 
tutions and  he  recalled  a  number  of  names 
of  distinguished  men  of  German  stock  who 
shed  lustre  on  Lancaster  and  Franklin 
and   Marshall   College. 

Mr.  Lamberton  responded  to  the  wel- 
come with  brief  appropriate  remarks. 

A  letter  from  Mr.  Wanamaker  was  then 
read,   in  which  he   expressed   regret  at   the 


necessity  that  forbade  his  presence,  but  he 
had  delivered  his  address  into  phonograph 
and  sent  it  on. 

The  instrument  was  then  turned  on  and 
the  members,  paying  rapt  attention,  heard 
distinctly  every  word,  and  followed  the 
speech  with  long  applause. 

The  Secretary  of  the  society,  Capt.  H. 
M.  .  Richards  reported  that  during  the 
past  year  twenty-eight  new  members  were 
elected  and  twelve  died.  The  present 
membership  is  474. 

Mr.  Julius  F.  Sachse,  of  Philadelphia, 
the  Treasurer,  reported  that  the  society 
has  funds  amounting  to  $2,422.70,  with  a 
cash  balance  of  $1,944. 

The  election  of  officers  was  next  in  or- 
der, and  the  following  were  unanimously 
elected  upon  nomination  by  the  Nominating 
Committee: 

President,  Thomas  C.  Zimmerman,  Read- 
ing; Vice  President,  Hon.  W.  U.  Hensel, 
Lancaster,  and  Rev.  P.  C.  Croll,  Lebanon: 
Treasurer,  Julius  F.  Sachse,  Litt,  D., 
Philadelphia;  Executive  Committee,  Rev. 
T.  E.  Schmauck,  Lebanon;  Rev.  Dr.  N.  C. 
Schaeffer,  Lancaster,  and  Prof.  Geo.  T. 
Ettinger,  of  Allentown. 

Mr.  Zimmerman  responded  to  the  honor 
conferred  upon  him  with  apjireciative  re- 
marks of  thanks.  He  paid  a  high  tribute 
to  the  Society  and  reviewed  to  some  ex- 
tent its  distinguished  history  and  achieve- 
ments. 

The  presiding  officer  then  called  upon 
ex-Governor  Pennypacker  for  remarks. 
When  the  familiar  figure  of  the  former 
Executive   arose   he   was   greeted   with   pro- 


46 


THE    MEETING    OF    THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN    SOCIETY 


longed  applause.  He  said  it  was  a  sudden 
and  unexpected  call,  like  a  loyal  Pennsyl- 
vania-German, he  said  he  would  have  to 
obey.  He  then  discoursed  upon  the  vir- 
tuous characteristics  of  the  German  race, 
who,  he  said,  are  virtually  the  rulers  of 
the  modern  world.  In  them  the  thought  of 
religious  liberty  was  first  and  best  ex- 
pressed, and  the  date  of  1683,  when  the 
pioneers  came  to  this  country  and  settled 
In  Germautown,  marked  the  epoch  in 
American   history. 

An  illuminating  and  entertaining  paper 
on  "The  Educational  Activity  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Germans  in  Colonial  Times,"  was 
read  by  Dr.  N.  C.  Schaeffer.  It  was  a 
very  comprehensive  sibject,  but  all  of  its 
phases  were  emphasized.  Stress  was  laid 
upon  the  fact  that  there  is  a  difference  be- 
tween "schooling"  and  education."  The 
early  Germans  devoted  attention  not  only 
to  academic  learning,  but  along  lines  now 
termed  manual  training  they  were  ahead 
of  modern  times.  '  In  things  that  made  for 
efficiency  they  sought  skill.  They  likewise 
combined  religious  instruction  with  the 
training  of  their  schools.  Tributes  were 
paid  to  the  distinguished  masters  of  the 
pioneer  days,  who  struggled  through  heavy 
vicissitudes,  and  many  interesting  facts 
"ere  relatpd,  notable  among  which  were 
these:  That  the  completion  of  the  Mason 
and  Dixon  line  was  the  work  of  a  Pennsyl- 
vania German,  Rittenhouse,  and  that  two 
of  the  world's  greatest  telescopes  were 
established  and  paid  for  by  Pennsylvania 
Germans,  viz.,  those  of  the  Lick  and  Yer- 
kes    observatories. 

Dr.  Schaeffer  compiled  a  list  of  the  Ger- 
man Governors  of  this  and  other  Com- 
monwealths, and  he  suggested  that  further 
research  l)e  made  in  order  to  get  a  list  of 
the  distinguished  Americans  who  sprung 
from    the     Pennsylvania     Germans.        Sum- 


ming up,  he  held  that  the  education  of  the 
Colonial  times  produced  effects  in  religious 
training  that  the  modern  public  school 
cannot  equal,  and  that  in  respect  to  its 
literacy  the  Pennsylvania  German  school 
was  the  equal  of  that  of  the  New  England 
States  and  the  superior  of  old  England. 

Theo.  Pershing,  Esq.,  was  on  the  pro- 
gramme for  a  paper  on  "Recent  publica- 
tions Bearing  on  the  Social  Life  of  the 
Pennsylvania-Germans,"  but  he  was  not 
present.  The  question  however,  was  dis- 
cussed by  Dr.  J.  H.  Dubbs,  who  dwelt  up- 
on both  the  favorable  and  unfavorable 
side  of  the  German  social  life. 

Dr.  S.  P.  Heilman,  of  Heilmandale,  Pa., 
offered  a  resolution  providing  for  the  ap- 
pointment of  a  committee  to  comnile  a 
complete  Pennsylvania  German  Bibliog- 
graphy.  The  society  went  on  record  as 
favoring  the  suggestion  and  the  resolution 
was  then  referred  to  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee. 

After  extending  thanks  by  a  rising  vote 
to  the  citizens  of  Lancaster  and  the  col- 
lege authorities  for  courtesies  and  hos- 
pitality   extended,    the    Society    adjourned. 

At  noon  the  visiting  guests  were  served 
a  complimentary  luncheon  by  the  authori- 
ties of  Franklin  and  Marshall  College  and 
A.cademy    and    the    Theological    Seminary. 

During  the  afternoon  the  visiters  were 
shown  through  the  college  ,  grounds  and 
buildings  and  were  given  a  trolley  ride 
through  the   city. 

The  closing  feature  of  the  session  was 
the  annual  banquet,  held  at  Hotel  Wheat- 
land, Hon.  W.  U.  Hensel  acting  as  toast- 
master,  and  toasts  were  responded  to  by 
Rev.  Dr.  Joseph  H.  Dubbs,  Hon.  Henry 
Houck,  Secretary  of  Internal  Affairs.  Hon 
Frank  B.  McClain  and  former  Governor 
Samuel  W.  Pennypacker. 


At  a  banquet  given  by  German  Amer- 
ican physicians  in  New  York  to  Professor 
Robert  Koch,  the  great  bacteriologist,who 
passed  through  this  country  on  his  way  to 
.Ta|)an,  Andrew  Carnegie,  the  great  phil- 
anthropist, was  present.  He  had  been  in- 
vited because  he  had  contributed  $200,000 
to  the  Robert  Koch  Fund  for  the  advcnce- 
ment  of  scientific  research.  Prof.  Koch, 
who  as  a  true  scholar,  is  a  very  modest 
man,  turned  off  the  flood  of  praise  pour- 
ed on  him  and  directed  it  to  Carnegie,  who 
did  not  "grasp  the  situation"  readily  be- 
cause he  does  not  understand  German.  He 
had  to  be  told  in  English  what  was  going 
on.  Knowing,  however,  that  all  the  Ger- 
mans   around    him    knew    English    just    as 


well  as  their  own  tongue,  he  "rose  to  the 
occasion"  and  said  that  he  would  gladlv 
part  with  one  of  his  millions  if  by  such  a 
"cash  down"  he  could  get  at  once  full  pos- 
session and  use  of  the  German  language, 
as  he  was  feeling  keenly  the  disadvantage 
of  not  being  acquainted  with  that  tongue 
to  which  civilization  owed   so  much. 

— Henry  Baumgartner,  of  near  Vera 
Cruz,  Lehigh  County,  is  the  possessor  of 
the  first  organ  used  by  the  Moravians 
shortly  after  settling  in  Emaus  in  1742. 
The  instrument  is  said  to  be  in  excellent 
condition  considering  its  age.  Its  con- 
struction is  very  plain,  being  practically 
free  of  ornaments  and  is  not  at  all  heavy 
or  bulky.     The  organ  is  unique. 


47 


Reviews  and  Notes 


Flashlights  on  Evangelical  History:  A  vol- 
ume of  Entertaining  Narratives  and 
Incidents,  Illustrative  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Work,  founded  by  Rev.  Jacob 
Albright,  in  1800  A.  D.  '  By  Rev.  A. 
Stapleton,  A.  M.  D.D.  Cloth;  193  pp. 
Illustrated;  second  edition.  Price  $1. 
Published  by  the  author,  York,  Pa., 
1908. 

This  book  is  vi^hat  its  title  purports  it 
to  be  "  flashlights  on  Evangelical  history." 
The  author  states  that  he  did  not  attempt 
to  write  a  connected  history — and  so  much 
the  greater  the  pity.  The  indications  seem 
to  be  that  there  is  material  here  for  a  good 
historian   to  write  a  connected  history. 

The  founding  of  this  religious  organiza- 
tion dates  back  to  the  year  1800  when  Rev. 
.Jacob  Albright  founded  the  first  three 
"societies."  Rev.  Albright  was  born  near 
Pottstown,  Pa.,  1757;  and  died  at  Millbach, 
Le])anon    county,    1808. 

The  book  gives  an  interesting  account  of 
the  old  time  campmeeting,  a  thing  of  the 
past.  It  contains  some  valuable  history 
of  the  frontier  life  of  Pennsylvania  of  one 
hundred  years  ago.  Probably  the  most  ex- 
citing and  interesting  part  of  the  narra- 
tive is  the  account  of  the  uprising  of  the 
Indians  of  the  Great  Northwest  during  the 
Civil    War. 

Kace  or  Mongrel:  A  Brief  History  of  the 
Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Ancient  Races  of 
the  Earth.  By  Alfred  P.  Schultz. 
Cloth;  gilt  top;  370  pp.  L.  C.  Page  & 
Co.,  Boston.     1908. 

The  author  of  this  book  is  a  practicing 
,  lihysician  at  Monticello,  N.  Y.  He  came 
from  Germany  when  ten  years  old.. 

Here  is  a  vigorous  thinker  and  a  still 
more  vigorous  writer  with  a  unique  theory, 
namely:  "that  the  fall  of  nations  is  due  to 
inter-marriage  with  alien  stock;  a  demon- 
stration that  a  nation's  strength  is  due  to 
racial  purity;  a  prophecy  that  America 
will  sink  to  early  decay  unless  immigra- 
tion   Is    vigorously    restricted." 

There  is  a  good  deaL  in  this  book  that  is 
true,  and  there  is  still  more  that  is  ex- 
aggeration, assumption,  and  enthusiasm. 
The  author  has  seemingly  been  carried 
away  by  his  enthusiasm  in  his  favorite 
theme  that  the  one  cause  of  race  degen- 
eration is  the  intermarriage  with  other 
races.  To  prove  this  he  has  heaped  u|)  a 
vast  amount  of  supi)osedly  ethnological 
lore.  The  entire  family  of  nations  is  pas- 
sed in  review;  and  all  the  members  are 
either  praised  for  keeping  pure  the  blood 
of   their    progenitors,   or    for    contaminating 


it  by  intermarriage.  To  say  that  the  na- 
tions of  old  perished  because  of  their  in- 
termarriages with  alien  peoples  is  as- 
sumption; and  this  assum])tion  reaches  its 
height  when  it  is  said  that  there  "is  not 
a  trace  of  evidence  in  favor  of  the  view 
that  Jesus  was  not  a  Jew,"  and  that  "^he 
New  Testament  is  as  little  the  continuation 
of  the  Old  Testament  as  it  is  the  continua- 
tion of  the  teachings  of  Buddha,  or  Con- 
fuscius. 

South  America  seems  to  receive  more 
than  its  share  of  the  author's  scorn.  One 
has  never  read  such  a  scathing  account 
and  description  of  the  South  American  Re- 
publics of  mongrel  race.  He  blames  the 
enforcing  of  the  Monroe  Doctrine  for  most 
of  the  deplorable  social  and  political  life 
of  these  countries.  There  are  manj^  people 
in  the  United  States  who  doubt  the  wis- 
dom of  enforcing  this  unwritten,  and  non- 
constitutional  law,  but  very  few  are  ready 
to  agree  with  the  writer  that  it  is  "the 
most  abominable  atrocity  that  was  ever 
committed  by  white  men  against  the  white 
races." 

From  the  point  of  ethnology  and  anth- 
ropology the  writer's  .  arguments  will  not 
stand.  The  book,  however,  is  written  in  a 
very  simple  and  interesting  style;  the  sen- 
tences are  all  very  short  and  simple.  It 
contains  much  that  is  worthy  of  reflection. 
It  is  another  note  of  warning  that  this  in- 
cessant influx  of  immigants  is  a  menace 
to  the  characteristics,  institutions  and 
ideals   of  our   country. 

The  Sense  of  the  Infinite,  By  Oscar  Kuhns, 
Professor     of     Romance     Languages 
Wesleyan     University,     and     author     of 
"Dante    and    the    Engl'sh     Poets,"     and 
"German     and      Swiss     Settlements    in 
Pennsylvania."      Cloth;     gilt     top;     265 
pp.  Price  $1.50  net.    Henry  Holt  &  Co., 
New  York.     1908. 
This   is  a  discussion   of  the   transcenden- 
tal   elements    as    found    in    Literature,    Life 
and    Religion.        In    the     introduction    the 
author   has   clearly  defined   his   position  an.l 
has    limited    the    sco])e    of    the    discussion. 
The  subject  is  bared  and  defined  in  the  sec- 
ond   chapter   "as    that    instinct   or    sense   or 
feeling    of   the   human     soul     by     means    cf 
which    it    is    drawn    out    of    everyday    con- 
sciousness,   and    brought    into    an    elevated 
state  of  mind,  by  the  contemplation  or  vis- 
ion   of    those    things    which    arouse    within 
us  a  sense  of  timeless  Being,  of  the  Abso- 
lute  the    Infinite,    the   One."      It    is   striving 
of    Fitness    after    the    Infinite    when    trying 
to  think  the  thoughts  of  God  after  him,  the 
striving    of    Imperfection    after    Perfection, 


48 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


the  feeling  of  Power,  a  "Rock  higher  than 
[,"   that  the   author   endeavors   to   explain 

This  book  has  nothing  to  do  with  that 
Oriental  mysticism  that  borders  on  irra- 
tional pantheism  and  fanaticism.  It 
treats  of  "those  experiences  that  come  from 
time  to  time  to  all  men,  which  are  in  their 
essence  fraught  with  blessing  to  the  inai- 
vidual  as  well  as  to  humanity  at  large." 
The  subject  is  as  old  as  human  thought, 
but  it  has  never  been  presented  with  more 
clearness  or  more  illuminating  power.  Ex- 
amples from  Plato  to  James  have  been 
summoned  to  bear  witness  to  the  truth 
that  this  Sense,  this  Feeling  of  the  Infinite 
is  omnipresent  and  eternal. 

We  are  told  that  there  are  three  phases 
of  nature  which  have  at  all  times  been 
peculiar  outlets  into  the  spiritual  world — 
the  mountains,  the  sea,  and  the  starry  hea- 
\ens.  And  in  speaking  of  the  sea  with  its 
multitudinous  water  as  itself  a  symbol  of 
the  Infinite,  one  could  expect  that  a "  poet 
like  Tennyson,  who  is  surely  the  poet  of 
the  sea,  would  be  quoted  with  his  "Break. 
Break,  Break,"  and  "Crossiing  the  Bar," 
with  the  sea  as  the  great  deep  of  eternity. 
And  in  fact,  Tennyson  on  the  whole  we 
think,  could  be  cited  effectively  with  his 
"Higher  Pantheism"  and  "  The  Voice  and 
the  Peak"  to  show  the  power  and  pres- 
ence of  the  transcendental  element  in  Vic- 
torian literature.  And  one  almost  feels 
like  saying  the  same  thing  about  Browning 
with  his  message  of  The  Glory  of  the  Im- 
perfect; although  he  was  neither  a  meta- 
physician nor  a  transcendental ist  but  it  is 
after  all  the  striving  of  the  Imperfect  af- 
ter the  Perfect  that  makes  life  worth  while. 

Prof.  Kuhns  has  given  the  term  mysti- 
cism a  new  and  hallowed  meaning;  he  has 
cleared  it  of  its  ill-repute;  for  there  are 
many  prosaic  minded  people  of  the  imme- 
diate present  who  smile  with  disgust  at 
mystically  inclined  people  as  being  unbal- 
anced, and  who  think  those  religious  sects 
designated  as  mystics  as  being  "queer"  and 
out  of  date  because  they  continue  to  hold 
to  the  simple  faith  of  their  fathers  and  to 
be  guided  by  the  Inner  Light.  Such  fun 
))oking  mu.st  cease  In  the  light  of  such 
sane  criticism. 

The  book  is  a  scholarly  and  thought-pro- 
voking work  on  the  subject  that  is  at  pres- 
ent foremost  in  matters  philosophical  and 
pyschological — subliminal  consciousness.  It 
ought  to  have  a  wholesome  effect  upon  this 
lushing,  work-a-day  world  that  measures 
its  contentment  and  happiness  .too  much 
by  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  stock  market, 
that  trails  many  of  its  ideals  in  the  dust, 
and  that  has  its  mind  fixed  too  little  on  the 
abiding    things    of    life. 

Thp  Study  of  Nature.  By  Samuel  Christian 
Schmucker,  Ph.  D.  Professor  of  Biolog- 


ical  Sciences,  West  Chester    (Pa.)  State 
Normal   School.     Cloth,   12mo.,   illustra- 
ted;   315    pp.       In     Lippincott's     Educa- 
tional   Series,   Vol.   VII    edited   by   Prof. 
M.   G.   Brumbaugh,   Ph.  D.  LL.  D.,   Super- 
intendent   of    the    Philadelphia  Schools; 
J.  B.  Lippincott  Company,  Philadelphia 
and   London.      1908. 
Prof.    Samuel    Christian    Schmucker    was 
born  in  Allentown.  Pa.     He  graduated  from 
Muhlenburg  College   and   later   received  his 
Ph.  D.  degree  from  the  Universjty  of  Penn- 
sylvania.    He  has  held  a  number  of  promi- 
nent positions;    since  1895  he  has  been  Pro- 
fessor  of   Biological    Sciences   in    the    State 
Normal    School   at   West  Chester,   Pa. 

It  is  with  pleasure  in  these  days  of 
pseudo-nature  study  and  "nature  fakirs"  to 
come  across  this  wholesome  and  admirable 
wcrk  on  the  study  of  nature — the  great 
world  out-of-doors.  It  is  manifestly  the 
work  of  one  who  studies  nature  and  does 
net  study  abcut  nature;  of  one  who  com- 
bines a  scientific  method  with  a  spirit  of 
reverence. 

It  is  amply  illustrated;  the  colored  plates 
made  from  water-colors  by  the  wife  of  the 
author  are  little  works  of  art.  .It  is  writ- 
ten in  an  admirably  simple  style;  it  is 
scholarly  without  being  technical,  and  it 
is  scientific  without  being  "unpopular."  It 
is  a  book  that  will  be  eagerly  read  both  by 
lovers  of  nature  and  by  lovers  of  books. 

Messrs.  Moffat,  Yard  &  Co.,  New  York, 
have  published  -John  Luther  Long's  novel, 
"FELICE,"  a  story  of  Italian  life.. 

"Modern  Language  Notes,"  published  by 
.lohn  Hopkins  University,  Baltimore,  Md., 
contains  in  its  November  numlier  some 
technical  writings  on  Chaucer,  Goethe. 
Browning,  Longfellow,  etc.  These  contri- 
butions are  nearly  all  of  the  nature  of 
textual    criticisms. 

4i     •{•     4*  * 

— Berks  county  has  many  aged  people. 
Isaac  H  Wenrich  and  his  wife  Rebecca,  of 
Bernville,  are  said  to  be  the  oldest  mar- 
ried couple  in  northern  Berks.  They  cele- 
brated their  67th  wedding  anniversary  in 
October.  They  were  married  October  24. 
1841,  by  Rev.  Daniel  Ulrich.  Mr.  Wenrich 
is   89  years  of  age,   and  his  wife   86  years. 

— Earnest  Schindler  and  nine  adult  sons, 
of  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  all  voted  at  the  recent 
Presidential    election. 

—  The  names  of  ex-Governor  Penny- 
packer,  .ludge  Sultzberger  and  George 
Wharton  Pepper  are  mentioned  among 
others  as  candidates  for  the  Supreme 
Court  to  succeed  Chief  Justice  Mitchell, 
whose  term  expires  in  .lanuary.  1910.  His 
successor  will  be  nominated  next  May  and 
elected   in   November. 


Vol.  X 


FEBRUARY,  1909 


No.  2 


Washington's  First  Commission,  Victory  and  Defeat 

HOW  A  VIRGINIA  HUNTER  AND  TRAPPER  SAVED 
THE  LIFE  OF  WASHINGTON 

By  John  Hadden,  Uniontown,  Pa. 


MOSE  familiar  with  the 
early  history  of  Western 
Feimsylvinia  will  recall 
that  in  the  fall  of  1753, 
George  Washington  was 
commissioned  by  His 
Honor,  Robert  Dinwid- 
dle, then  Governor  of  the 
colony  of  Virginia,  as  a  special  envoy 
to  proceed  to  the  headwaters  of  the 
Allegheny  and  demand  of  the  French 
commander  his  object  in  establishing 
forts  and  trading  posts  upon  lands 
claimed  by  the  English  crown.  This 
was  the  first  important  pnblic  service 
intrusted  to  Washington  and  brought 
him  at  once  into  public  view. 

Dinwidde  now  realized  that  inaction 
on  his  part  would  lose  to  the  English 
the  whole  \''alley  of  the  Ohio.  He 
therefore  commissioned  Washington 
.as  major  with  authority  to  enlist  one 
hundred  and  fifty  men  and  to  proceed 
to  the  Forks  of  the  Ohio  to  finish  the 
fort  already  begun  by  Ensign  Ed- 
ward ^^'^ard,  and  from  which  Ward 
had  been  dri\cn  awav  bv  the  French. 


This  commission  was  soon  raised  to 
that  of  lieutenant-colonel,  and  the 
number  of  men  increased  to  three  hun- 
dred, and  all  to  be  under  the  command 
of  Col.  Joshua   Fry. 

Washington  started  from  Alexan- 
dria, Virginia,  April  2,  1754,  with  two 
companies,  amounting  to  one  hundred 
and  fifty  men,  and  having  been  join- 
ed by  a  detachmen.t  under  Captain 
Adam  Stephens  ai  rived  at  Will's 
Creek,  where  the  city  of  Cumberland 
now  stands,  on  April  20tb.  and  on  the 
24th  of  May  the  little  army  was  en- 
camped at  the  Great  Meadows,  fifty- 
one  miles  west  of  Will's  Creek. 

Here  \\'ashington  received  intelli- 
gence that  the  French  were  on  their 
way  to  meet  him.  He  at  once  erected 
a  stockade,  cleared  away  the  under- 
growth and  prepared  what  he  termed 
"a  charming  place  for  an   encounter." 

On  the  night  of  the  27th  \\'ashing- 
ton  was  anj^rised  by  the  Half-King, 
a  friendly  Indian,  that  a  body  of  the 
French  were  encamjjed  about  six- 
miles    oft".      Washington,    with    a    dc- 


50 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


tachment  of  forty  men,  set  out  about 
ten  o'clock  to  join  the  Indian  allies. 
They  groped  their  way  along  the  foot- 
path in  a  heavy  rain  and  murky  dark- 
ness to  the  encampment  of  the  Half- 
King.  Two  Indians  led  the  way  and 
at  daybreak  the  French  were  discov- 
ered encamped  in  a  low  bottom  sur- 
rounded by  rocks  and  trees.  Wash- 
ington and  his  men  formed  on  the 
right,  the  Half-King  and  his  men  on 
the  left  and  with  ghost-like  silence 
they  advanced  to  the  brow  of  the 
ledge  of  rocks  beneath  which  the 
French  were  encamped.  Washington 
was  in  the  advance,  and  as  the  French 
caught  sight  of  him  they  flew  to  their 
arms.  A  sharp  fire  ensued  which 
lasted  for  fifteen  minutes  when  the 
French  gave  way  and  ran.  They  were 
soon  overtaken  and  twenty-one  pris- 
oners taken.  Washington's  men  on 
the  right  received  all  the  fire  of  the 
eneni}-.  One  man  was  killed  and  three 
wounded  near  Washington,  the  In- 
dians sustaining  no  loss.  The  French 
had  ten  killed  and  one  wounded,  and 
one  escaped  to  carry  the  news  of  the 
defeat  to  the  Forks. 

Monsieur  Junionville,  their  com- 
mander, was  shot  through  the  head  at 
the  first  fire.  This  was  the  first  en- 
gagement in  which  Washington  ever 
took  a  part,  and  was  the  initial  battle 
which  lost  to  France  so  much  of  her 
possessions  on  American  soil,  and  as 
Francis  Parkman  tersely  put  it,  "in  it 
was  fired  the  first  shot  that  set  the 
world   ablaze." 

Thus  on  the  crest  of  the  Allegheny 
Mountains,  in  Fayette  county  the 
Star  of  Washington  first  arose  to  at- 
tract the  wonder  and  the  admiration 
(^f  the  civilized  world. 

AA'ashington  then  started  to  ad- 
\ance  to  the  mouth  of  Redstone 
creek  on  the  Monongahela  river,  but 
soon  learned  that  the  French  were 
advancing  in  great  numbers  and  after 
a  council  of  war  he  determined  to  re- 
treat to  Will's  creek.  Upon  reaching 
the  Great  Meadows,  the  stockade 
above    mentioned    was    increased    and 


strengthened  and  named  Fort  Neces- 
sity. Here  a  force  of  five  hundred 
F^rench  and  four  hundred  of  their 
Indian  allies,  all  under  the  com- 
mand of  M.  Conlon  de  Villiers,  a  half 
brother  to  Jumonville,  made  an  attack 
on  the  morning  of  July  3rd,  and  for 
nine  hours,  during  a  heavy  rain,  the 
assailants  poured  an  incessant  show- 
er of  balls  upon  the  little  band  crowd- 
ed within  the  lines  of  the  fort.  The 
conflict  grew  in  animation  until  8 
o'clock  in  the  evenmg  when  de  Vil- 
liars  proposed  a  parley  to  which 
W^ashington  acceded  and  the  articles 
of  capitulation  were  signed  in  the 
rain  by  the  light  of  a  candle.  This  was 
the  first  as  well  as  the  last  time- 
Washington  ever  surrendered  to  a 
foe ;  and  on  that  ever-memorable  4th 
of  July  Washington's  little  army 
slowly  wended  its  way  toward  Will's 
creek,  while  in  its  wake  followed  a 
retinue  of  settlers  and  adherents. 
Thus  were  the  lilies  of  France  left  to 
float  over  every  fort  and  trading  post 
from  the  Allegheny  Mountains  to  the 
Mississippi. 

ENGLAND    SENDS    AN    ARMY 

England  however,  was  by  no  means 
disposed  to  relinc]uish  her  claim  to 
the  Ohio  \^alley  without  further  con- 
test so  in  February  of  1755.  General 
Edward  Braddock  landed  in  Virginia 
with  two  regiments  of  British  regu- 
lars to  which  were  added  such  pro- 
vincials as  were  recruited  from 
Maryland.  Virginia  and  Peimsylvania. 
He  was  to  march  against  Fort 
Ducpiesne  at  the  F^orks  of  the  Ohio 
and  thence  up  into  Canada. 

After  a  long,  tedious  and  laborious 
march,  cosiuning  more  than  a  month 
from  the  time  he  left  Will's  creek. 
Braddock  arrived  at  the  Monongahela 
river  a  short  distance  below  the  pres- 
ent town  of  ]\IcKeesport.  The  army 
crossed  to  the  left  bank  of  the  river 
and  marched  in  the  mouth  of  Turtle 
creek,  where  the  second  fording  was 
made.  The  army  had  scarcely  recross- 
ed  to  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  and 


WASHINGTON'S   FIRST  COMMISSION.    VICTORY  AND   DEFEAT 


51 


within  ten  miles  of  the  fort  which 
they  exjiected  to  enter  in  triumph  the 
tolk)\ving'  day.  when  a  brisk  fire  was 
received  from  an  unseen  foe.  Brad- 
dock's  troo])s  responded,  but  to  Httle 
effect,  and  the  engagement  which 
lasted  for  three  hours,  was  most  fur- 
ious. 

More  than  half  of  the  army  was 
cither  killed  or  wounded,  two-thirds 
of  them  being  shot  down  by  their 
own  men.  Uraddock  had  four  horses 
killed  under  him  ;  at  last  while  on  the 
hfth.  he  received  a  mortal  wound 
which  shattered  his  right  arm  and 
penetrated  his  lungs,  and  as  he  fell 
I'rom  his  horse  he  exj)ressed  the  de- 
sire that  the  scene  of  his  defeat  might 
also  witness  his  death. 

Out  of  eighty-nine  commissioned  of- 
licers  twenty-six  were  killed  and 
lhirty-se^■en  W(nnided.  and  of  the  sol- 
diers four  hundred  and  thirty-seven 
were  killed  and  about  four  hundred 
^vounded,  the  killed  being  in  excess  of 
the  wounded.  Every  field  officer  and 
every  one  on  horseback,  except  Wash- 
ington, who  was  aid-de-camp  to  the 
general,  and  had  two  horses  killed 
under  him  and  four  bullets  through 
his  coat,  was  either  killed  or  carried 
off'  the  field  wounded. 

The  officers  endeavored  in  ya.'\n  to 
rally  the  distracted  troops,  and  to  in- 
timidate others  ran  the  fugitives 
Through  with  the  sword,  and  were  in 
uirn  killed  by  others.  One  eye  wit- 
ness declared  that  the  slaughter 
among  the  officers  was  not  made  by 
the  enemy  but  by  those  fugitives  who 
ex|)ecte(l  to  meet  the  same  fate. 

During  the  whole  of  the  engage- 
ment Braddock  raved  and  swore  and 
cursed  his  troops  as  dastards  and 
cowards.  The  provincials,  being  ac- 
quainted with  the  Indian  mode  of 
warfare,  had  taken  to  the  trees  and 
were  doing  good  execution,  but 
P>raddock  ordered  them  to  stand  out. 
as  he  said,  '"like  English  soldiers"  and 
tight  in  the  open.  He  struck  many  of 
them  down  with  his  sword,  among 
whom     was    Joseph     Fausett   and     for 


which    act    he    paid    the    penalty    with 
his   life. 

Braddock  was  described  as  "  des- 
perate in  his  fortune,  brutal  in  his  be- 
havior and  obstinate  in  his  senti- 
ments." His  secretary  wrote  of  him 
before  the  battle :  "We  have  a  general 
most  judiciously  chosen  for  being  dis- 
(|ualified  for  the  service  he  is  employ- 
ed in  in  almost  every  respect." 

Thomas  Fausett,  the  slayer  c*f  Gen- 
eral Barddock,  was  a  provincial  sol- 
dier. He  was  a  native  of  Virginia 
and  a  hunter  and  trapper  by  occupa- 
tion. In  those  early  days  it  was  quite 
common  for  hunters  to  be  gone  for 
days  and  weeks  in  pursuit  of  game, 
and  on  one  occasion  when  Fausett  re- 
turned from  an  extended  hunting  ex- 
pedition be  was  horrified  to  find  his 
cabin  in  ashes  and  the  dead  and 
scalped  bodies  of  his  family  scattered 
on  the  ground;  the  work  of  maraud- 
ing Indians.  This  scene  so  affected 
Fausett  that  he  resolved  to  take  ui) 
his  abode  in  Pennsylvania,  and  when 
General  Braddock  was  preparing  to 
advance  against  Fort  Duquesne, 
Th(.)mas  Fausett  and  his  brother  Jos- 
ei)h  were  enlisted  as  privates,  at  six 
pence  a  day,  at  Shippensburg,  Pa.,  b}' 
Ca])tain  \A'illiam  Poison,  who  had 
served  under  Washington  in  the  expe- 
dition of  1754,  into  Captain  Cholmon- 
deley  s  company  of  the  48t'i  regi- 
ment, and  marched  with  the  advance 
of  Braddock's  army  to  the  fatal  field. 

During  the  engagement  Tom  Fau- 
sett witnessed  the  fearful  slaughter  of 
the  army  by  the  unseen  foe,  the  rav- 
ing madness  of  his  commander  and 
the  striking  down  of  his  brother,  by 
the  enraged  Braddock  for  no  other  of- 
fense than  that  of  fighting  in  the  only 
successful  manner  against  the  In- 
dians. This  was  too  much  for  a  man 
of  his  temperament  to  stand  and  he 
determiTied  at  once  to  have  revenge 
and  at  the  same  time  to  put  an  end 
to  the  terrible  carnage  for  which  the 
(officers  had  pleaded  in  vain.  He  rais- 
ed his  gun  and  sent  the  deadly  mis- 
sile   crashino-   throuiih    the     right    arm 


52 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


and  into  the  lungs  of  Braddock. 

The  wounded  general  was  carried 
from  the  held  and  borne  along"  with 
the  retreating  army  to  the  encamp- 
ment of  Col.  Dunbar,  where  he  arriv- 
ed on  the  nth  of  Jul}'.  Here  he  or- 
dered the  provisions  and  ammunition 
destroyed  lest  they  fall  into  the  hands 
of  the  pursuing  enemy. 

On  Sunday,  the  13th,  the  army  re- 
traced its  steps  to  the  Old  Orchard 
camp,  wdiere  it  had  halted  on  its  way 
<  ait.  The  general  softly  repeating  to 
himself.  "  Who  would  have  thought 
it  ?  "  and.  turning  to  Orm  said.  "  We 
shall  better  know  how  to  deal  with 
them  another  time."  He  breathed  his 
last  about  8  o'clock  on  the  same  night 
and  was  wrapped  in  his  cloak  as  a 
winding  sheet  and  was  buried  at  day- 
l)reak  on  Monday,  at  the  camp  in  the 
middle  of  the  road  that  the  army  in 
l)assing  over  the  grave  might  obliter- 
ate every  trace  of  its  wdiereabouts. 
and  thus  avoid  any  desecration  of  the 
body  by  the  Indians.  The  chaplain 
having  been  wounded  Washington 
read  the  E'piscoual  funeral  service  and 
the  dead  general  was  buried  in  the 
lionors  of  war. 

The  retreat  of  the  army  was  con- 
tinued (tn  the  T4th  and  arrived  at  Fort 
Cumberland  on  the  i8th,  and  remain- 
ed there  until  the  2nd  of  August. 
\Miile  here  Col.  Dunbar,  who  Avas 
then  in  command,  was  met  Avith 
earnest  requests  from  the  governors 
of  Pennsylvania.  Maryland  and  Vir- 
ginia that  he  would  post  his  troops  on 
the  frontier  so  as  to  afford  some  pro- 
tection to  the  inhabitants.  To  all 
their  entreaties  Dunbar  turned  a  deaf 
ear,  and  continued  his  hasty  march 
through  the  country,  not  considering 
'himself  safe  until  he  arrived  at  Phila- 
delnhia.  Col.  Dunbar  soon  returned  to 
England,  wliere  in  November  follow- 
ing he  was  suspended  because  of  his 
injudicious  retreat,  and  was  sent  into 
honorable  retirement  as  lieutenant 
governor  of  Gibraltar.  He  was  never 
again  acti\cly  emi)1f\ved.  and  died  in 
^777- 


\^  hen  Braddock's  retreating  army 
arrived  at  Fort  Cumberland  the  pro- 
vincial troops  disbanded  for  their 
homes  and  Joe  and  Tom  Fausett  be- 
came residents  of  what  is  now  Fay- 
ette county,  Pennsylvania,  where  each 
became  owner  of  a  mountain   farm. 

In  1812,  when  the  supervisor  was 
repairing  the  public  roads  in  his 
neighborhood  Tom  Fausett  came 
along  with  his  trusty  rifle  on  his 
shoulder,  and  being  well  acquainted 
with  the  supervisor  and  the  men  em- 
ployed, said.  "If  you  will  dig  right 
there,  indicating,  you  will  find  the 
i)ones  of  General  Braddock."  The 
road  supervisor  dug  wdiere  Fausett 
had  directed  and  sure  enough  he  un- 
earthed the  bones  of  the  unfortunate 
general  and  his  military  trappings 
bearing  the  insignia  of  his  high  rank, 
liad  it  not  been  that  Fausett  settled 
in  tliis  neighborhood  after  Braddock's 
army  was  disbanded,  the  wheVeabouts 
of  the  grave  of  Braddock  would  have 
ever  remained  unknown,  for  it  will  be 
remembered  that  A\'ashington  passed 
o\er  the  route  three  years  after  the 
defeat  and  could  not  locate  the  spot 
where  the  general  was  buried  al- 
though he  had  read  the  funeral  ser- 
vice himself. 

Tom  Fausett  as  well  as  his  brother 
Joseph  settled  in  the  neighborhood  of 
r5raddock"s  gra\-e.  and  he  frequently 
related  to  his  friends  the  incidents  of 
the  defeat,  the  raving  madness  of 
Braddock  during  the  battle,  the  ter- 
rible slaughter  of  the  poor  Virginia 
Blues,  as  he  termed  the  provincials 
from  that  state,  and  finally  the 
striking  dcnvn.  with  his  sword,  of  his 
brother. 

Fausett  always  related  that  he  fir- 
ed the  fatal  shot  at  the  commander, 
whom  he  termed  "the  madman"  in  or- 
der to  save  the  remainder  of  the 
army,  and  to  avenge  the  unwarrant- 
ed striking  down  of  his  brother  for 
"treeing."  and  while  many  were 
aware  of  the  fact  that  Braddock  re- 
ceived his  wound  at  the  hand  of  one 
of  his      own      men.     his    unpo])ularity 


WASHINGTON'S    FIRST     COMMISSION.   VICTORY   AND   DEFEAT 


53 


among  his  officers,  and  the  demoral- 
ized condition  of  the  army,  accounts 
tor  the  fact  that  Fausett  was  never 
called   to  account  for  his  act. 

True  it  is  that  had  not  Fausett  fir- 
ed the  fatal  shot  and  had  Braddock 
remained  in  command,  what  remain- 
ed of  his  army  never  would  have  es- 
caped, and  Washington  never  would 
have  been  spared  to  fight  the  battles 
I  if  liis  country  and  give  his  services 
to  the  establishment  of  the  best  gov- 
ernment on  the  face  of  the  globe. 

Fausett  remained  a  resident  of  Fay- 
ette county  and  in  his  old  age  became 
•  me  of  the  indigent  poor  of  Wharton 
tovvnshi]).  He  was  frecpiently  sold 
nut  at  auction  to  the  lowest  bidder  by 
the   (Overseers   of    the    poor,    the     bids 


ranging  from  thirty  to  fifty  dollars 
per  annum  exclusive  of  clothing.  He 
lived  to  an  extreme  age  and  was  bur- 
ied in  an  old  burying  ground  on  the 
I'atton  Rush  farm  about  one  and  a 
half  miles  west  of  Ohiopyle  Falls. 
His  grave  stone  bears  the  following 
inscri])tion  : 

Thomas  Faucet 

died 

March  23 

1822 

Aged  109  years, 

9  mos. 

And  on  each  recurring  memorial 
(lay  a  flag  and  a  few  flowers  are  plac- 
ed on  the  little  mound  of  earth  to  keej) 
his   memory  green. 


Sketch  of  Col.  Matthias  Hollenback 

By  Edward  Welles,  Wilkes-Barre,  Pa. 


A  T  T  H  I  A  S  Hollenbach. 
Pioneer,  Alerchant.  Sol- 
dier, latterly  called  Judge 
Hollenbach,  who  w  a  s 
second  in  descent  from 
(leorge  Hollenbach,  who 
was  one  of  the  great  ar- 
my of  German  immigrants, 
who  for  the  avoidance  of  persecution, 
iir  to  better  their  fortunes,  came  from 
the  Rhine  provinces  about  the  year 
1 717,  and  helped  to  settle  the  fertile 
lands  of  southeastern  Pennsylvania, 
under  the  trilerant  sway  of  the  Penns. 
l^'adition  sa}s  he  was  a  native  of 
W'urteniberg ;  in  \\hich  kingdom  in- 
deed are  still  to  be  found  many  fam- 
ilies of  the  name  ;  though  all  efforts  to 
trace  his  direct  connection  with  any 
i)f  these  modern  families  have  hither- 
to failed.  He  was  probably  married 
in  Germany,  but  his  children  were  all 
liorn  in  America:  the  eldest,  Mathias 
the  elder,  in    1718. 

George  Hallenbach,  the  immigrant, 
nrolialdy  settled  soon  after  his  arri\-al 
in    Xew      Hanover     township,      Mont- 


gomery (then  Philadel[)hia'l  county : 
as  he  is  known  to  have  owned  land 
there  as  early  as  "May  1720.  He  is 
said  to  have  been  a  member  and 
officer  of  the  old  Lutheran  church  at 
Falkner  Swamp ;  though  as  the  earli- 
est preserved  records  of  that  church 
are  subsequent  to  his  death,  his  name 
does  not  appear ;  nor  is  the  place  of 
his  sepulture  ascertained.  He  was 
a  well-to-do  blacksmith  and  "Innhold- 
er."  and  evidently  a  man  of  some 
consequence  and  influence  among  his 
brethren  ;  as  his  name  and  that  of  his 
eldest  son  Alathias  appear  many  times 
in  the  archives  of  the  German  speak- 
ing population    of  the   district. 

George  H^allenbach  died  at  his  farm 
in  Xew  Hanover,  July  28,  1736,  leav- 
ing a  comf(^rtable  estate  to  his  widow, 
Maria  Catharine,  and  their  four 
children,  Mathias,  John,  INTarie  Cath- 
arina  and  George,  all  under  age.  His 
\vill  is  still  on  file  and  of  record  at 
the  office  <^f  the  Register  of  Wills  in 
Philadelphia.  witnessed  and  proven 
bv  Killian   I\ehle  and  ?^Iathias  Ringer : 


54 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


the  imcntor}-  of  personal  estate, 
appraised  by  the  same  parties  with  the 
addition  of  Abraham  Cassle,  footing 
u])  to  £584.4.5.  By  the  terms  of  the 
will  all  the  real  estate  was  left  to 
Mathias.  charoed  with  certain  be- 
(piests  and  conditions  in  favor  of  the 
widow    and    vnunger   children.    Among 


Young.  In  June  of  that  year  the 
writer  in  company  with  Governor 
Hartranft,  and  Messrs.  Daniel  V>. 
I 'oyer.  Frederick  Brendlinger  and 
William  K.  Grimm,  paid  a  visit  to 
the  premises,  and  succeeded  in  iden- 
tifying the  location  of  the  old  spring, 
then    nearly    lost    and    dried    nj).    and 


C^,^4^eu0^t^  ^^^^^^^^^■^^^^^'-^^ 


these  was  the  erection  of  a  suitable 
liouse  for  the  life-use  of  the  widow, 
ui)on  an  acre  of  land  set  off  by  the 
testator  for  the  purpose,  adjacent  to 
and  including  the  use  of  a  certain 
si)ring   of   water. 

The    homestead     farm     in     (]uestion 
was  in  the  }ear  1878  the  home  of  Mr. 


even.   ])robal)ly.    the     remains    of    the 
foundations   of   the   house   spoken   of. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  wid- 
ow's reasons  for  discontent  with  her 
son's  administration  of  his  trust,  ^vhen 
her  own  will  was  proven  twenty 
vears  later,  it  was  found  to  contain 
no    mention    ( )f    his    name    other    than 


SKETCH  OF  COL.  MATTHIAS  HOLLENBACK 


in  a  \orl>al  codicil,  Icaviiii;'  certain 
valuables  l<>  his  eldest  daughter, 
Ritsina. 

I'>\  the  ])ro\isi(ins  of  Georg'e  rK)l- 
lenbach's  will,  his  two  young-er  sons, 
joim  and  ( ieorge,  were  bidden  to 
larry  with  my  son  Mathias  until 
the\-  l)e  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years, 
and  then  be  bound  to  trades,  such  as 
the\-  shall  think  best."  Matthias  suc- 
ceeded to  his  father's  vocation;  while 
John,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  seems  to  have  chosen  to  be  a 
tanner  and  shoemaker.  Of  the  young- 
est son  nothing  is  certainly  known; 
but  there  is  little  douin  that  he  is  the 
(leorge  Ilolabaugh  who  applied  Octo- 
ber <.),  i/Cij  for  fifty  acres  of  land  in 
Windsor  townshi]).  Berks  county, 
adjoining  (ieorge  May  and  Andrew 
Ma\';  the  same  land  having  been 
liatented  January  1838  to  John  Hol- 
lenbach.  i)robably  a  grandson.  From 
this  (ieorge  are  descended  the  families 
of  the  name  in  Berks  county.  Search 
has  so  far  failed  to  connect  them  with 
the    Montgomery  county  Hollenbachs. 

(  )f  the  immigrant's  daughter,  called 
Maria  by  the  father,  liut  Catharina  by 
the  mother,  in  their  respective  wills, 
all  that  is  known  is  that  she  died  be- 
fore her  mother,  leaving  four  (diildren 
named  as  legatees  in  the  will  of  their 
grandmother. 

The  widow  of  George  Hollenbach 
survived  her  husband  twenty  years. 
dying  December  12,  1756.  In  her 
will,  proven  the  following  April,  she 
bequeathed  a  personal  estate  amount- 
ing to  £175.14.0,  to  be  distributed 
among  her  grandchildren,  .\lthough 
Mathias  was  not  among  her  legatees, 
nor  named  for  the  administration,  he 
seems  to  ha\e  induced  the  executors, 
Matthias  Richard  and  Bernhard  Dod- 
erer,  to  renounce  in  his  favor.  The 
will  and  in\-entory  are  still  on  file  and 
of  record   in    Philadelphia. 

From  the  church  records  at  Tra])pe 
(Providence)  we  extract  the  following 
entry  :  ''  December  14,  1756,  ist  die 
Wittwe  ITollebachim  in  dem  Herzog- 
thum    \\urttemberg  geburtig,      begra- 


ben.  Sie  war  /2  Jahr  und  1  Monat  1 
Tag-  alt.  Hatte  20  Jahr  in  \"','ittwen 
Stande  gelbt,  und  war  31;  Jahr  im 
Lande  gewesen.  Leichtentext  Ephes. 
5.  16." 

Mathias  ilollenbach  the  elder  was 
after  the  death  of  his  father  a  man  of 
some  ])rominence  among  his  German 
brethren  ;  his  name  ai)])earing  fre- 
ipiently  in  the  current  archives,  and 
in  the  records  of  conveyances,  etc.  in 
IMiiladelphia  county,  down  to  the  year 
1774.  In  1754-  November  20,  he  joins 
with  Michael  Schlatter  and  others  in 
a  memorial  addresed  tn  the  new 
Deputy  Governor,  Robert  Hunter 
Morris,  entitled  "The  huml)le  atldress 
of  the  German  Protestants,  inhabitants 
of  the  County  of  Philadelphia,  with 
the  object  and  pur')ose  of  asserting 
their  faith  and  loyalty  to  the  Province 
and  the  King",  and  of  defending 
themselves  against  the  injurious  im- 
putation of  sym')athy  \\'ith  the 
hVench  in  the  contest  then  oi)ening 
on   the   frontier." 

1742,  December;  Henry  Antes, 
John  .\vce.  P.ernhard  Doderer. 
Thomas  Maybury,  Christian  Snyder 
and  Mathias  Hollenbach  were  ai)- 
Dointcd  to  lay  out  a  road  "  from  Ml. 
Pleasant  Furnace  and  Christian 
15\'dler's  mill,  to  the  great  road  lead- 
ing from  Maxatawny,  and  only  b}- 
}\'ter    Sell's    mill    to    P'hiladelnhia." 

1754.  June  6;  with  Martin  Sensen- 
derfer,  Georg  llurkar.  .Abraham  Bob. 
Martin  Zehan,  Peter  Steltz.  Christian 
Kurtz.  Michael  Krebs,  Heinrich 
Stetler  and  Peter  Egner.  inhabitant'^ 
i^\  Xew  liano\er  township,  he  peti- 
tions for  a  road  "  from  the  great  rtia<l 
that  leads  from  the  old  mill  to  Phila- 
deli)hia :  to  begin  near  the  t)ld  mill, 
thence  to  .Martin  .^ensenderfer's  saw 
mill,  thence  to  the  old  h\u-nace  road." 
On  August  13th  following  the  road 
\\as  laid  out  b\'.  Tiiomas  Maybury 
I  lenr}-  Dcraya.  jr.,  Isaac  Potts,  Jere- 
miah lordan.  Haniel  Heister.  'r.,  and 
Michael   Croll. 

.At  Alatthias'  death,  intestate  in  the 
\ear    T778.   he   left    a    comfortalile    es- 


56 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


tate  to  his  heirs ;  the  inventory  foot- 
up  to  £2019.11.8.,  exchisive  of  a  con- 
siderable landed  estate.  Upon  his 
tombstone  at  the  rear  of  the  old 
Evangelical  Lutheran  church  of  Fal- 
kner  Swamp,  appears,  cut  in  the 
beautiful  old  German  text  of  the  day, 
the   quaint   epitaph : 

In  dieser  Gruft 

ruhet  der  Leichnam 

V.  Mathias  Hollenbach 

war  geb.  d.  5  Nov.  Jaht 

1718 

Er  hinterlies  3  wohl- 

versorgte   Tpchter 

u.  starb  d.   12  Jan. 

1778 

Im  alter  60  Jahr 

u.  7  Tage. 

On  the  /th  of  February  letters  of 
administration  were  granted  to 
George  Dietter  Bucher  and  Rev. 
Jacob  Van  Buskirck,  the  husbands  of 
his  second  and  third  daughters  res- 
pectively. Maria  was  the  "love  name" 
of  the  daughters  of  Matthias,  derived 
from  the  name  of  their  mother,  his 
first  wife  Anna  Maria:  thus 

1.  Maria  Rosina,  b.  1740;  married 
Philip  Kehl.  When  the  estate  of  her 
fatlier  was  divided  in  1779,  she  lived 
in  Upper  Milford  township,  North- 
ampton county.  It  is  probable,  how- 
ever, that  her  first  husband  was 
George  Schneider. 

2.  Maria  Magdalena,  b.  1742;  m. 
Georg  Dieter  Bucher,  July  25,  1758, 
at  the  age  of  sixteen :  died  June  25, 
r8o2;  from  her  is  descended  a  very 
numerous  family,  among  whom  was 
the  late  Gen.  John   F.  Hartranft. 

3.  John.    1747,   died   in   infancy. 

4.  Anna  Maria,  b.  April  21,  1749: 
lu.  Rev.  Jacobus  Van  Buskirck,  Mar. 
f5,  1764,  not  quite  fifteen  years  old. 
I'Vom  this  marriage  is  also  descended 
a  family  equally  numerous  and  in- 
fluential. 

Of  the  western  migration  of  John, 
second  son  of  the  founder,  and  father 
of  Col.  Matthias,  we  can  onl}^  judge 
by    the    date    of    his    application     July 


6,  1750,  for  fifty  acres  of  land  in  Leb- 
anon township,  Lancaster  (now  Leba- 
non) county,  adjoining  John  Reval 
and  Samuel  Reed.  This  was  probably 
the  land  upon  which  he  spent  the 
middle  portion  of  his  life,  and  reared 
his  family ;  after  the  dispersion  of 
which  he  removed  to  Martinsburgh, 
Va.,  where  he  died  in  1792.  John's 
wife.  Eleanor  Jones,  was  when  he 
married  her,  the  widow  of  a  man 
named  Stoudt  (Staudt?).  who  had 
perished  from  exposure  while  hunt- 
ing. The  return  of  his  dog  without 
the  master  led  to  the  recovery  of  the 
frozen  body. 

The  children  of  John  Hollenbach 
and    Eleanor  Jones   were   five : 

1.  George,  1742-1824:  m.  Hannah 
Barton;  removed  about  1772  with  his 
parents  and  his  newly-married  wife 
to  Martinburgh,  Va. ;  thence  in  1779 
to  the  Monongahela  river  in  western 
Virginia,  and  thence  to  Ohio.  He  is 
the  prog'enitor  of  a  very  numerous 
familv  in  the  middle  and  farther 
West'. 

2.  Jane,  1750-1832:  m.  David  Hun- 
ter in  \''irginia :  left  few  descendants, 
resident   in   Maryland   and   Virginia. 

3.  Matthias,  1752-1829:  the  subject 
of  this  sketch. 

4.  John,  1755-1797:  m.  Elizabeth 
Stansbur}^  ( Stanborough)  July  23, 
1778:  few  descendants,  resident  in 
Pennsylvania. 

5.  Mary  Ann,  1761-1796:  m.  \A"il- 
liam  Cherry,  Va. ;  numerous  descen- 
dants ;  scattered  throughout  the  mid- 
dle and  farther  ^^^est. 

All  the  sons  of  John  Hollenbach 
were  endowed  with  their  father's 
Christian  name,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
(laughters  in  the  family  of  their  uncle 
Matthias :  thus,  George  John,  Mat- 
thias John,  and  John  George;  the 
middle  name  however  being  dropped 
in   each   case. 

Matthias  Hollenback,  (  as  the  name 
A\'as  now  spelled),  the  second  son  of 
John,  second  son  of  the  founder,  mig- 
rated to  the  Wyoming  Valley  in  the 
autumn    of    1769;    one    of    a    partv     of 


SKETCH    OF  C0[>.    MATTHIAS    HOLLENBACK 


forty  yoiui!^"  Pennsylvanians  under 
tlie  lead  (U  Cai)t.  Lazarus  Stewart,  to 
\\ln>m  was  assiij^ned  by  the  CtMinecti- 
out  Susquelianna  Cotn])any  a  town- 
ship of  land  in  tlie  \alley,  which  they 
named  Ilano\er.  next  south  of  Wil- 
kes-l'arre;  and  now  one  of  the  richest 
tow  )is]ii|)s  in  the  state,  if  not  in  the 
L'nion.  I'^-oni  this  time  to  his  death 
in  1829,  his  history  and  life  are  close- 
ly associated  with  the  history  of  the 
valley  of  the  upi)er  Susquehanna. 
Uein^  of  mixed  German  and  Welsh 
blood,  nature  seems  to  have  endowed 
him  with  a  liberal  oift  of  the  best  and 
strong-est  traits  of  both  the  paternal 
and  maternal  stocks.  In  the  rude 
tuition  of  those  days,  '"book-learning"" 
was  little  attainable,  and  ])erhaps  as 
little  valued  ;  and  yoimg-  Hollenback's 
share  of  it  is  said  to  have  been  limit- 
ed to  what  he  could  acquire  from  a 
term  of  six  weeks  at  a  common  coun- 
tr}'  school.  "lUit  to  him.  as  to  other 
men  who  have  risen  from  obscurity  by 
the  force  of  their  own  abilities,  the 
world  was  a  life-long"  school,  and  ex- 
perience and  observation  his  skillful 
tutors."  When  he  removed  to 
\Vyoming"  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  he 
was  the  possessor  of  a  horse  and  sad- 
dle, and  fifty  dollars ;  a  quite  suffi- 
cient start  for  one  of  Stewart's  "Pax- 
tang  Boys";  going  as  they  did.  with 
an  abundant  capital  of  brain  and 
brawn,  to  take  up  land  in  the  fertile 
Wyoming  valley,  under  the  Connec- 
ticut     Susfpiehanna     Companv,      with 


the  co\enant  to  "man  their  right"  in 
o])])osition  to  the  claims  nf  tlie  Pro- 
])rietaries  of  Pennsylvania. 

I  lollenbach's  earliest  mercantile 
books  are  unfortunately  lost;  but  ii 
is  known  that  he  began  as  a  trader 
in  a  small  way,  in  a  stockade  built  at 
or  near  Mill  Creek,  the  ])resent  north- 
ern boundary  of  the  city  of  Wilkes- 
['arre.  for  protection  against  the  In- 
dians ;  this  was  probably  as  early  as 
the  year  1771  :  but  the  earliest  books 
that  can  now  be  found  are  dated 
1772-4.  In  one  of  these  is  found  a 
charge  against  the  account  of  "Queen 
Esther" ;  still  unsettled,  unless  vicar- 
iously by  her  later  deeds  at  the 
"Bloody  Rock." 

FJeing  by  ])reference  a  trader  rather 
than  an  agriculturist.  Holleni^ack 
never  permanently  manned  his  right 
in  Hanover  township ;  and  so  came 
near  losing  it.  But  having  once  em- 
l)arked  under  the  Yankee  banner,  and 
su])i)osing  the  right  of  Connecticut 
under  her  charter  to  be  indefeasible, 
he  was  consistent  in  defence  of  that 
right,  until  the  award  of  jurisidiction 
to  Pennsylvania  by  a  competent  tri- 
bunal, in  the  Decree  of  Trenton : 
"from  which  moment,"  says  the  late 
judge  Scott,  "he  yielded  obedience  to 
the  constitution  and  laws  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  contributed  all  in  his  pow- 
er to  quiet  the  turbulent,  and  recon- 
cile the  disaffected  to  the  legitimate 
authorities." 

(to  be  continued) 


58 


Old  Churches  and  Old  Graveyards 

By  Dr.  I.  H.  Betz.  York.  Pa. 


H  E  church  and  the  grave- 
yard have  existed  from 
the  first  settlement  of 
the  country.  The  immi- 
grants who  came  into 
the  western  world  as  a 
rule  were  in  limited  cir- 
cumstances. Some  of  the 
early  settlers  brought  their  pastors 
with  them  and  an  organization  was 
effected  at  once.  The  limited  means 
of  the  people  did  not  permit  of  the 
erection  of  buildings  for  worship 
since  providing  shelters  and  homes  for 
the  new  settlers  was  a  first  pressing 
necessit}'.  A  place  of  interment  was 
necessary  at  an  early  stage.  Death 
was  liable  to  invade  the  ranks  of  the 
newcomers  at  any  time.  When 
churches  with  their  attached  grave- 
yards did  not  exist  interment  would 
most  naturally  be  made  on  the  farms 
of  the  settlers.  This  may  have  been 
the  reason  for  the  first  family  grave- 
yards on  the  farm  and  others  followed 
the  custom.  This  was  all  very  well 
for  several  generations  but  it  was 
found  that  through  time  land  was 
liable  to  change  hands  and  luider 
these  circumstances  the  family  grave- 
yard \v(^uld  fall  into  neglect  and  de- 
cadence. When  churches  were  built 
invariabl}^  grave-yards  were  connect- 
ed with  them.  In  the  larger  towns 
these  places  of  interment  in  crowded 
centers  became  unsightly,  perhaps 
^  unhealthy  and  retarded  progress  and 
impro\'ement.  It  was  necessary  to  re- 
move them  which  was  a  very  unsatis- 
factory proceeding.  In  the  country 
this  fact  did  not  impress  the  public 
so  strongly.  There  interment  was  at 
times  attended  with  difficulty.  Cer- 
tain grave-3^ards  for  which  the  ground 
was  given  by  the  Penns  in  jierpetuity 
hcnvever  caused  some  trouble  and  in- 
convenience.    These  plots  were  some- 


times attached  to  private  grounds  and 
fell  into  a  state  of  neglect  since  there 
were  no  descendants  left  to  keep  them 
in  order  and  repair.  The  plots  were 
therefore  given  over  to  take  care  of 
themselves,  and  became  unsightly  and 
moreover  in  towns  led  to  irremediable 
inconveniences.  Of  course  the  farm 
graveyards  were  all  right  in  principle 
so  long  as  the  paternal  acres  remained 
in  the  family  ownership. 

If  anything  produced  attachment  in 
the  descendents  to  the  family  name 
this  would  apply  still  more  in  the  long 
lists  of  families  who  hold  reunions 
in  modern  days.  However  it  is  to  be 
feared  that  many  of  the  paternal  acres 
have  passed  into  other  hands.  In  east- 
ern and  southern  Pennsylvania  many 
neighborhoods  which  were  entirely 
settled  by  certain  nationalities  after 
a  century  or  more  have  noAV  an  en- 
tirely different  population.  The  grave- 
yards remain  as  a  sdent  witness  and 
reminder  of  the  past,  with  none  to  re- 
turn or  visit  them  through  the 
changes  which  time  has  produced. 
Even  the  red  men  had  their  burial 
places  at  certain  places.  While  they 
leturned  for  a  time  to  vis^it  the  old 
scenes  and  reminders  of  the  past  at 
last  their  visits  ceased.  Some  neglect- 
ed places  of  interment  have  fallen  in- 
to com]:)lete  decadence  and  with  no 
one  to  revisit  them  or  by  their  pres- 
ence restrain  those  who  possessed  the 
surrounding  land  it  was  farmed  over 
with  no  one  to  protest  against  the 
desecration.  We  have  become  familar- 
ized  with  the  mummies  of  Egypt 
which  are  found  in  our  Academies  of 
Natural  Sciences  and  perhaps  in  tra\- 
elling  museums.  We  are  also  familiar 
with  the  fact  that  during  the  Civil 
\A'ar  in  1861-5  the  materials  in  which 
the  mummies  were  encased  were  used 
for   the    pa])cr   industry   owing   to   the 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


59 


scarcity  of  cotton  and  other  fabrics- 
To  such  base  if  not  practical  uses  we 
may  be  appHed  at  last !  The  countries 
of  Eg"ypt,  Asia  Minor  and  Assyria 
have  i^ranted  permission  to  exhume 
certains  portions  of  terri^tory  and  ex- 
cavations have  been  made  on  a  large 
scale  which  have  shed  much  light  on 
the  history  and  customs  which  have 
])revailed:  thus  it  would  seem  that 
nothing  is  abiding  and  free  from  dis- 
turbance and  change.  The  sepultures 
of  the  dead  with  which  so  much  care 
and  ceremonial  observance  was  ob- 
served are  ruthlessly  disturbed  and 
destroyed. 

Funeral  rites  among  the  early  set- 
tlers had  certain  customs  and  observ- 
ances no  longer  in  vise.  Considerations 
regarding  those  matters  in  all  their 
minutiae  would  be  very  interesitng 
if  they  were  fully  collected  and  detail- 
ed. Religious  worship  among  the  early 
settlers  was  first  conducted  at  the 
houses  of  the  members.  Large  num- 
bers of  the  people  would  sometimes 
assemble  during  the  meetings,  es- 
l)ecialy  those  which  continued  over 
the  Sabbath.  Great  earnestness  and 
solemnity  prevailed.  Some  denomina- 
tions even  later  on  did  not  erect 
church  buildings  but  conducted  the 
meetings  at  the  houses  of  the  mem- 
l)crs  on  Saturday  evenings.  On  Sun- 
day the  services  were  held  in  the 
large  cajiacious  barns.  The  crowds 
that  filled  the  buildings  and  yards 
were  large.  E^■ery  thing  was  done  de- 
cently and  in  order.  The  visitors 
were  decorous  and  well  behaved.  On 
such  occasions  great  preparations  had 
been  made  to  feed  the  multidude 
and  all  were  invited  to  partake  of 
the  hosjiitality  of  these  kind  and  open- 
hearted  people.  In  our  eastern  count- 
ies especially  among  large  family 
connections  in  the  church  exceed- 
ingl\-  large  funerals  have  been  held. 
As  many  as  800  buggies  and  carriages 
have  been  in  attendance.  To  take  pro- 
])er  care  of  those  teams  without  jar  or 
confusion  required  persons  of  ex- 
perience and  tact.     A\'e  have  all  heard 


of  the  hat-boys  at  metropolitan  hotels 
who  take  the  hats  in  rapid  succession 
of  those  who  enter  the  dining  room 
and  on  their  irregular  exit  the  proper 
hat  is  handed  to  the  departing  guest 
without  a  single  mistake  Of  course 
there  is  system  at  these  large  funerals 
but  without  tact  and  something  like 
intuitive  knowledge  confusion  would 
seem  to  result.  The  tables  on  these 
large  occasions  at  times  extend  down 
and  through  the  long  yards  and  are 
continuously  filled.  What  is  custom 
must  needs  be  observed  without  let  or 
hindrance.  Horace  Greely  in  his  auto- 
biography on  "Recollections  of  a  Busy 
I^ife"  records  the  fact  that  during  his 
boyhood  in  Londonderry.  New  Hamp- 
shire that  no  funeral  was  conducted 
without  passing  ardent  spirits  a- 
mong  those  who  attended.  Of  course 
this  was  considered  all  right  and  pro- 
per then  among  the  best  people.  To 
do  things  of  which  we  are  not  sure 
but  what  they  may  be  wrong  is  where 
doing  wrong  is  incurred  already. 
When  we  think  they  are  wrong  then 
we  must  refrain  doing  them.  But 
changes  in  these  directions  have  tak- 
en place.  To  change  the  habits  and 
customs  of  a  people  is  an  herculean 
work  and  undertaking.  This  is  seldom 
accomplished  by  resolution  but  by 
education  and  evolution.  This  is  a 
slow  but  sure  process.  Being  educa- 
tional in  character  and  based  on  ac- 
ce])tance  and  conviction  the  effects  are 
slow  but  abiding. 

!Many  of  our  first  churches  were 
built  of  logs.  .\  second  churcii  in  the 
course  of  a  generation  was  generally' 
l)uilt  of  stone.  In  from  one  to  two 
generations  this  Avas  perhaps  replaced 
by  a  brick  building  which  was  prob- 
ably renovated  or  changed  in  its  in- 
terior after  several  generations.  This 
was  later  replaced  in  some  instances 
by  an  elegant  new  building. 

Those  of  our  ancient  churches 
which  are  yet  standing  are  interest- 
ing examples  of  architecture.  Some  of 
them    had    large      galleries      extending 


60 


THE    PENNS YLVAN I A-GERMAN 


over     tlie     audience     chambers.     The 
pulpit  was  high  over  which  was  erect- 
ed a  sounding  board.     High  steps  led 
up  to  the   elevated   pulpit.     The   seats 
were  plainly  constructed  and  were  un- 
cushioned.     In   early     times  no  stoves 
were  in  use  and  the     ccingregation  sat 
in  a  cold  room  without  fire,     inwardly 
digesting  what     may  have     been  con- 
sidered a  dry  long     doctrmal     sermon. 
To  have  complained  or  to  have  made 
complaint  concerning  this  fact     might 
have     subjected     the     complainant   to 
comment  or  it  might     have  served  to 
reflect  doubt  upon  the  soundness  of  his 
])rofessions !      It   must   be   remembered 
that   these   early     ])ioner  settlers   were 
unconsciously     picked     people     as  re- 
garded  their     physical   endurance   and 
capacity.        They     belieA'ed     in      their 
strength  and  had  confidence  in  its  use 
and  application.  They  were  sincere  and 
friendly   but    firm   and   stood   for   right 
and  truth.     They  believed  in  corporal 
measures    when    moral    restraint   failed 
to     produce     conviction.     The\      were 
l)ractical  people  and  lit  subjects  to  be- 
come     the      foundation      and      corner- 
stones of  a     nation.     They  acted  up  to 
the  best     light  they     had  and  if  we  do 
not     acce])t  all  their     conclusions     we 
have  no  reason  to     doubt  their  convic- 
tions  and     sincerity.      Some   of     their 
churches     which  have     remained  until 
lecently  when  not  remodeled,  through 
which  they     have     almost     lost     their 
identity,  were  ])uilt  on  the  principle  of 
a  church  as  well  as  a  fortress-  Ai  times 
the     Indians     waylaid  and     murdered 
members  going  home  from  the  servic- 
es. At  other  times  they  sui rounded  the 
church  from  vantage  points  seeking  to 
destroy  the     congregation  by  one  fell 
swoop.     Rut     trustworthy  men     were 
there  with  their     rifles  in  hand  sitting 
at  the  end     of  the     pew     pre])ared  to 
turn  the     church  into  a     fortress  at  a 
moment's  notice,     'llie  reason  alleged 
for  the  male     members  occupymg  the 
external  end  of  the     pew  has  been  as- 
signed as     owing  to     this     custom.  It 
may  not  have  originated  or  descended 
down   for  this  reason  onlv,  but  that  it 


was  thus  carried  out  cannot  be  denied. 
Portholes  were  made  in  the  walls  of 
the  church  for  the  marksmen  to  take 
their  unerring  aim  for  which  they 
were  so  much  noted. 

The  old  church  at  Derry  in  Dauphin 
county  and  that  at  Paxtang  had  a 
similar  history.  Some  of  the  old  sand- 
stone tombstones  at  Derry  bear  the 
dates  of  1727  and  1730.  But  before  or 
perha])s  after  thjs  time  manv  of  the 
early  setlers  were  buried  in  unmarked 
graves.  The  placing  of  memorial 
stones  was  so  long  delayed  that  even- 
tually no  one  remained  to  render  this 
tribute  of  respect  to  the  long  departed 
when  not  almost  forgotten  ?  Alany  of 
the  inscriptions  on  these  old  sand- 
stones have  been  worn  off  or  effaced 
by  time  and  the  elements  so  that  the 
inscriptions  can  no  longer  be  read. 
Many  of  these  churches  were  located 
near  a  s])ring  which  ministered  to  the 
people  after  the  long  ser^dces.  They 
came  in  the  morning  and  after  the 
sermon  there  was  an  intermission  to 
refresh  man  and  beast.  After  that  was 
accomplished  then  the  congregation 
sat  through  another  long  sermon. 
They  then  returned  to  their  homes 
feeling  that  they  had  done  a  good 
day's  work. 

Congregational  singing  was  wholly 
in  vogue  in  those  good  old  days. 
T.ater  the  settled  fine  weather  of  May 
and  June  in  the  larger  country  church- 
es brought  forth  an  immense  turn  out. 
Some  persons  lived  so  far  away  that 
they  never  attended  church  except 
t)n  sacramental  occasions.  The  long 
distance  of  many  miles  however  made 
a  very  good  excuse  for  their  absence 
when  the  uncertainties  of  the  weather 
and  the  condition  of  the  roads  were 
taken  into  consideration.  Some  of  the 
irreverent  termed  them  the  "year- 
lings" when  their  presence  was  ob- 
served and  commented  upon.  But 
with  the  increasing  density  of  the 
Donulatic^n  churches  have  now  been 
built  in  almost  any  neighborhood, 
and  the  church  and  the  school  are 
brought   to  the     |)eople  instead  of  the 


OLD  CHURCHES  AND  OLD  GRAVf^YARDS 


'61 


lexerse  as  ()l)lained  in  former  days. 

Many  of  our  churches  instead  of 
usinja^  the  German  language  have  their 
services  now  conchicted  wholly  in  En- 
glish. The  English  would  seem  to  be 
the  coming  language.  It  may  not  be 
as  grammatical  or  as  melodious  and 
exi)ressive  as  some  others  but  it  is  a 
cosmopolitan  language  and  seems  to 
1>e  laying  all  others  under  tribute.  It 
has  a  vocabulary  that  is  constantly 
growing  and  extending.  While  it  has 
many  shortcomings  yet  it  has  also 
manv  things  that  can  be  said  in  its 
favor.  It  would  seem  to  require  about 
four  generations  to  turn  the  language 
of  a  people  or  of  a  church  from  Ger- 
man to  English.  Necessity,  business 
interests,  social  usages  and  other  fact- 
ors would  seem  to  be  assimilative  and 
thus  changes  are  brought  about  silent- 
ly, slowly  but  surely- 

If  our  forefathers  could  arise  and 
witness  the  changes  in  church  archi- 
tecture and  the  usages  and  customs  of 
congregations  they  would  be  filled 
with  amazement.  The  crowds  and  out- 
ward forms,  observances  and  usages 
lia\e  changed  very  nitich.  Of  cotirse  it 
is  not  maintained  that  these  are  any- 
thing but  non-essential.  In  fact  noth- 
ing wrong  can  be  laid  to  the  changes. 
They  are  only  such  as  in  the  natural 
course  of  events  are  brought  about, 
along  with  other  influences  that  make 
for  good  and  righteousness.  There  is 
no  more  reason  why  these  changes 
should  not  be  made  than  that  the  same 
buildings,  customs  and  usages  of  for- 
mer times  should  be  transmitted  to  the 
present.  There  is  nothing'  new  under 
the  sun  Solomon  tells  us,  but  there  is 
change  of  form.  The  old  however  is 
substantially  preserved.  What  other 
changes  the  future  may  have  in  store 
for  us  cannot  be  foreseen,  no  more 
than  those  which  have  been  brought 
about  could  be  foreseen,  at  the  settle- 
ment of  the  country.  Churches  of  taste- 
ful architecture  are  springing  up  all 
over  the  country.  Bishop  ]\IcCabe  said 
twenty   years   ago   that    the    Methodist 


Church  was  building  two  churches  a 
day  while  other  denominations  that 
exist  and  are  working  in  the  same 
direction  must  swell  the  aggregate 
to  many  more.  The  amount  of  church 
])roperty  in  the  United  States  must 
reach  one  thousand  millions  or  one 
billion  dollars.  We  have  been  inform- 
ed but  a  short  time  ago  that  our  Nat- 
ional a])propriations  by  Congress  now 
reach  more  than  one  billion  dollars. 
We  can  realize  what  this  sum  means 
when  we  contrast  it  with  some  other 
things  of  which  we  can  form  a  mater- 
ial conception. 

But  great  changes  have  taken  place 
in  the  disposal  of  the  dead.  While 
church  yards  are  all  very  well  in  the 
intention  with  which  they  were  estab- 
lished it  later  became  evident  that 
the}'  were  no  longer  available  for  gen- 
eral se])ulture.  In  fact  frequent  ne- 
cessity arises  for  churches  to  move  t<t 
new  neighborhoods.  With  this  pos- 
sibility it  was  speedily  determined 
that  they  were  no  longer  available 
for  general  tise.  Cemeteries  especially 
in  the  cities  and  the  larger  towns  haAc 
now  taken  the  place  of  the  church 
yards.  These  "Cities  of  the  Dead" 
have  become  places  of  beauty  and 
many  tender  associations  which  are 
connected  with  them  for  that  reason. 
They  have  also  encotiraged  through 
their  permanence  the  erection  of  fine 
tasteful  mausoleums  and  memorial 
tablets  to  the  dead. 

These  places  are  to  continue  and 
they  exert  an  infltience  that  is  praise- 
worthy. They  cultivate  the  finer 
feeling's  of  human  nature  and  thus  the 
dead  continue  to  exert  an  influence  on 
the  living. 

r)ther  methods  of  disposal  of  the 
dead  ha\e  been  widely  discussed 
but  whatever  can  be  said  in  their  favor 
in  large  centres  of  poj^ulation  and 
under  certain  circumstances  such 
burial  maintains  its  hold  upon  the 
affections  of  the  peo]jle  Here  they 
see  their  sacred  dead  consigned  to  the 
ground,     "earth     t<»    earth,      ashes     tu 


62 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


ashes  in  the  hope  of  a  blessed  and 
giorious   resurrection." 

This  has  been  sanctioned  by  an- 
cient usages  and  a  long  line  of  pre- 
cedents that  nothing"  but  dire  necess- 
ity would  seem  to  be  able  to  change. 
What  is  long  established  by  precedent 
and  e.\j)erience  is  not  suddenly  chang- 
ed. Xor  does  there  seem  any  pressing 
necessity  tor  doing  so.  The  ]iublic  is 
not  ready  to  make  changes  that  may 
be  even  distasteful  but  when  necessity 
or  self  preservation  demands  them 
they  are  e\'er  amenable  to  self  evident 
facts  and  reason-  However,  such 
necessity  seldom  arises. 

America  would  seem  to  have  been 
the  land  of  promise  in  the  futurity  of 
time.  Landing  upon  bleak  and  barren 
shores  with  scanty  resources  but  with 
strong  and  willing  hands  and  hearts 
the  peti])le  ])aved  a  pathway  through 
the  wilderness  in  the  course  of  four 
centuries  ha\e  accomplished  results 
that  are  sim])ly  prodigious.  They  at 
once  saw  a  necessity  for  the  church 
and  the  school.  They  set  to  work  and 
established  "log  colleges"  in  our  state 
whose  teachings  turned  otit  men  of 
ability  and  serxice.  They  became  the 
teachers  of  the  peo])le.  and  were  instru- 
mental in  forming  a  ptiblic  opinion. 
These  men  became  beacon  lights  in 
the  .State  and  Church.  The  "little  red 
school  house"  has  become  the  univer- 
sit\'  of  the-     nation   in   its     diffusion   of 


learning  and  intelligence.  Pennsyl- 
vania spends  millions  of  dollars  for 
pcjpular  education  and  no  better  outlay 
could  be  made.  Civilization  now  pro- 
ceeds ahead  of  the  settler  But  soon 
our  available  area  for  settlement  will 
be  taken  up  and  then  the  usages  and 
customs  of  the  pioneer  will  depart 
and  society  will  become  organized  in- 
to a  compact  whole  of  which  evidenc- 
es are  already  appearing.  Then  there 
will  be  a  tendency  to  uniformity  in  so- 
cial laws  and  usages.  To  this  end  it  is 
in  the  power  of  the  professions  to  con- 
tribute much.  The  ]:)rv.'ss,  the  puipit,  the 
rostrum,  the  legal  and  medical  pro- 
fessions one  and  all  will  have  a  word 
to  say  in  this  uniformity  and  creation 
of  public  opinion.  AVe  will  advance 
not  retrograde.  The  future  is  bright 
with  promise  notwithstanding  the 
ill  concealed  oi^inion  of  the  pessimist 
on  the  futtire  of  American  institutions. 
( )ur  hope  is  in  all  the  infltiences  which 
make  for  good. 

These  thoughts  are  suggested  by  the 
l)rimitive  condition  and  byways  of 
our  people  which  the  subject  of  our 
article  suggests  thn^ugh  contrast  with 
])resent  conditions.  That  we  shall  go 
onward  and  continue  to  accomplish 
still  greater  results  luist  be  the  hoi)e 
of  ever_v  lo\'er  of  his  country  who  has 
her  welfare  at  heart. 


63 


New  York  Public  Library.     Its  German  American 

Collections 


By  Richard  E.  Helbig,  Assistant  Librarian 

1 1{  folUnving  extracts  are 
taken  from  a  brochure  of 
29  pages  entitled  "Ger- 
man American  Research- 
es :  The  Growth  of  the 
German  Collection  of  the 
New  York  Public  Li- 
brary (luring  1 906- 1 907. 
I)\-  Richard  E.  Helbig.  Assistant  Li- 
brarian, reprinted  from  German?Amer- 
ican  Annals  Se]jt.  and  Oct.  1908." 
That  Mr.  HelKg  deserves  great  credit 
for  the  work  accomplished  may  oe  in- 
ferred from  the  concluding  paragraph 
in   which  he  says  : 

It  is     customary     with  most  or- 
ganizers of  the  German  American 
undertakings,        to        appoint      an 
honorary      committee.      This    for- 
mality    has  been     ignored  in     the 
unbuilding  of  the  German  Ameri- 
can    collection.  In  the  first  place, 
thanks  for  the  furtherance  of  the 
work  are     due  to  the     Director  of 
the  "New  York  Public     Library," 
Dr.  John  S.     Billings,     and  to  my 
immediate  superior  at  the  "Lenox 
Library  Building."     the  'Chief  Li- 
brarian,   ]\Ir.    Wilberforce    Eames, 
who  have  permitted  me  to  agitate 
in  the  name  of  the  library  in  favor 
of  the   collection.   My  canvass   for 
material  and     solicitations  in     the 
press  have     given   the   impression 
to  some     German     American  edi- 
tors    and     other     persons,     that  I 
must  be  the  chiet  of  a     "German 
Department"  of  the  library.  In  or- 
der to  correct  this  wrong  view,   I 
wish  to     state     officially  no  such 
"Department"     exists  as   yet.   My 
position    is      "Assistant    Librarian 
at    the    Lenox    Library    Building." 
The  cause  and  cure  for  the  want  of 
due  recognition     of  the     services  ren- 
dered by     Germans     in  the     history  of 
(^ur     country  are     indicated  in  the  fol- 
lowing words : 


in  Lenox  Library  Building,  New  York 

(ireat  libraries  ma}'  be  called 
literary  fpiarries  and  workshops 
for  scholars  and  authors.  It  is  a 
matter  of  course,  that  such  people 
will  avail  themselves  of  the  op- 
portunities for  work  on  their  par- 
ticular subjects,  if  the  materials 
for  research  are  to  be  found  fairly 
com])lete  at  some  library  of  easy 
access.  Librarians  know  from 
experience,  that  even  historians  of 
note  and  other  specialitsts  at 
times  work  only  along  the  paths 
of  least  resistance.  One  may 
unhesitatingly  blame  the  prevail- 
ing commercial  spirit  for  this.  The 
number  of  those,  who  do  not  sto]) 
at  the  question  of  expense  and 
sacrifice  of  time  without  the 
prospect  of  tangible  financial  re- 
turn, is  small.  This  factor  ex- 
plains the  insufficient  recogni- 
tion, which  the  German  Ameri- 
can element  has  thus  far  received 
in  works  of  American  history  and 
literature.  The  reproach  of  wil- 
ful   neglect    is   unjustifiable. 

If  the  German  Americans  and 
their  decendants  had  seen  to  it  at 
all  times,  that  the  complete  ma- 
terials for  the  study  of  their  his- 
tory, viz.,  records,  documents. 
])rinte(l  matter,  German  American 
new^spaper  files,  etc.,  were  gath- 
ered and  preserved  for  future  use 
in  the  large  libraries  and  histori- 
cal societies  of  this  country,  the 
field  would  have  ere  long  been 
worked  more  thoroughly  by 
Vmerican   Historians. 

The  growing  German  Ameri- 
can collection  in  the  "New  York 
Public  Libary"  therefore  meets  a 
long  felt  want.  Some  account  of 
the  origin  and  idea  underlying 
this  collection  may  be  in  place 
here.  The  "  Lenox  Library " 
(founded  in    1870.  and  since   1895, 


64 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


by  an  act  of  consolidation  part  of 
the  "New  York  Public  Library, 
Astor,  Lenox,  and  Tilden  Foun- 
dations"'), is  famous  for  its  val- 
uable collections  of  early  printed 
and  rare  books,  most  of  which  re- 
late to  North  and  South  America 
and  the  adjoining  Islands,  also 
for  its  rich  collections  of  manu- 
scripts relating  to  American  his- 
tory. Mr.  James  Lenox,  the  noble 
founder,  (born  in  1800,  died  in 
1880),  began  gathering  these 
treasures  about  1840.  Naturally 
rare  books  in  the  German 
language  relating  to  America 
were  purchased  by  him  also. 
Among  them  may  be  named  here 
the  German  edition  of  the  letter 
of  Christopher  Columbus,  giving 
the  earliest  information  of  his 
great  discovery,  printed  at  Strass- 
burg.  by  Bartholomew  Kuestler. 
in  1497.  A  reprint  of  this  Ger- 
man edition,  with  an  introduction 
by  Prof.  Konrad  Haebler,  was 
published  in  1900.  Th?  later 
German  books  of  the  sixteenth  to 
the  eighteenth  centuries  with 
reference  to  America  are  too 
numerous  to  be  noted  here. 
How  the  New  York  Public  Library 
is  reaching  out  for  original  sources  of 
information  is  shown  by  these  words: 
About  ten  years  ago  the  man- 
agement of  this  library  came  to 
an  understanding  with  the  "Pub- 
lic Record  Office"  in  I^ondon,  to 
have  copied  at  our  expense  un- 
published documents  relating  to 
the  Loyaltists.  This  task  was 
performed  by  experts.  Their 
transcripts  coA^er  75  folio  volumes 
which  are  now  kept  in  the  manu- 
script department  at  the  "Lenox 
r.ibrary  P>uilding."  This  inval- 
ual)le  mine  still  awaits  the  ex- 
ploitation of  historians.  At  the 
outbreak  of  and  during  the  Amer- 
ican Revolution  many  families 
of  quality  and  wealth  were  on  the 
side  of  the  I^oyalists.  W^henever 
the     American      patriots      gained 


power,  the  Loyalists  were  relent- 
lessly persecuted,  driven  away 
and  their  property  confiscated. 
Many  of  them  made  their  flight  to 
Canada  and  Nova  Scotia,  where 
the  British  government  indemni- 
fied the  refugees  for  their  losses 
by  granting  them  land  and  ad- 
vancing them  money.  Most  of 
these  transactions  are  accurateh^ 
recorded  in  the  76  volumes  of 
transcripts  mentioned  before. 
There  were  also  Germans  among 
the  Loyalists.  This  fact  cannot 
and  must  not  be  hushed  up,  above 
all  not  by  those  who  demand  "fair 
play"  on  the  part  of  Americans, 
the  naked  truth,  and  besides,  the 
present  generation  of  German 
Americans  has  no  good  reason  to 
be  ashamed  of  the  Germans 
among  the   Loyalists. 

Among  those  who  manifest  an 
intelligent  interest  to  further  the 
study  of  the  history  of  the  Ger- 
man element  in  this  country  and 
the  history  of  the  various  recipro- 
cal relations  between  Germany 
and  the  United  States,  the  need 
has  been  felt  long  ago,  to  have  a 
thorough  examination  of  German 
archives,  ])ubjic  and  other  librar- 
ies in  Germany  made  for  the  pur- 
pose of  locating  and  calendaring 
unpublished  material.  In  many 
cases  it  would  be  desirable  to 
iiave  the  documents  copied  Avith- 
out  delay. 

\\niether  or  in  how  far  the 
"New  York  Pul^lic  Library"  will 
participate  in  this  work,  cannot 
be  said  at  this  time.  In  view  of 
the  manuscripts  about  the  Ger- 
man auxiliary  troops  in  the 
.\merican  Revolution  and  the 
large  German  American  collec- 
tion of  printed  books  and  pamph- 
lets in  the  possession  of  the  lib- 
rary, it  is  to  be  wished,  that  it 
could. 
That  good     work  is     l)eing     accom- 

])lished  may  be  inferred  from  data  like 

the  following: 


NEW  YORK  PUBLIC  LIBRARY.     ITS  GER  MAN    AMERICAN    COLLECTION 


65 


An  enterprise  like  this  German 
American  collection,  to  the 
s^rowth  of  which  since  October. 
1903,  about  500  persons,  institu- 
tions, orjj;-anizations  and  societies 
(all  of  great  diversity)  in  more 
than  60  cities  in  the  United  States 
Canada  and  Europe  have  contrib- 
uted, must  be  a  matter  of  gener- 
al interest.  During-  the  years  1906- 
1907  there  were  sent  out  in  con- 
nection with  Lhe  work  1357 
letters,  post  cards  and  other  mail 
matter.  Acknowledgements  for 
gifts     are     not     included  in     this. 

On  October  6,  1907,  at  the 
time  of  the  biennial  convention 
of  the  "National  German  Alli- 
ance" in  New  York  an  article 
was  published  in  the  "New  York- 
er Staats-Zeitung."  wherein  T 
gave  an  account  of  the  origin  and 
growth  of  the  German  American 
collection.  1  also  made  a  plea 
for  the  official  support  of  the 
"  National  German  American  Al- 
liance." In  response  the  con- 
vention passed  and  adopted 
unanimously,  at  the  recommenda- 
tion of  the  Committee  on  His- 
torical Research,  the  following 
resolutions : 

Resolved,  That  the  public  and 
the  press  be  requested  to  support 
the  German  American  collection 
in  the  New  York  Public  Library 
to  the  best  of  their  ability  and  to 
send  material  to  the  address  be- 
low. 

Resolved,  That  the  State,  local 
and  other  organizations  be  re- 
el nested  to  gather  printed  and 
other  documents  in  their  respect- 
ive districts  and  to  send  the  same, 
if  possible,  collectively,  to  the 
"New  York  Public  Library,  care 
of  Richard  E.  Helbig.  5th  Ave. 
and  70th  St.,  New  York." 

The  scope  of  the  collection  em- 
braces manuscript  material,books. 
pamphlets  and  smaller  printed 
documents,    periodicals     newspap- 


ers, etc..  bearing  on  the  history, 
biography  and  genealogy  of  the 
German  element  in  America,  lit- 
erary and  scientific  works  pro- 
duced by  German  Americans  (in 
English  as  well  as  in  German), 
works  about  the  United  States  in 
the  German  language  and  mater- 
ial about  various  reciprocal  rela- 
tions between  Germany  and  this 
country. 

The  foregoing  indicates  a  fixed 
]>rogram.  Its  carrying  out  in  the 
past  has  been  to  me  an  arduous 
and  often  thankless  task.  The 
further  pursuit  of  the  program 
means  an  increase  of  the  work, for 
which  I  will  gladly  continue  to 
sacrifice  my  own  time.  Enthu- 
siasts and  optimists  have  not  died 
<iut  yet.  At  times  even  such 
might  become  discouraged,  when 
one  gradually  finds  out,  that 
many  of  the  "Hurrah"  shouters  in 
the  German  American  camp  are 
unwilling-  to  do  anything,  unless 
their  personal  vanity  is  satisfied 
thereby  or  that  financial  gain 
accrues  to  them. 

The  "New        York        Public 

Library"  has  on  file  m  the  period- 
ical room  at  the  "Astor  Librarv 
Building"  over  6,000  current 
periodicals,  of  which  over  1,000 
are     in      the      German      language. 

During  the  two  years  3,864 
Aolumes  and  pamphlets  have 
been  received  from  297  donors  in 
87  cities,  distributed  over  24 
states  of  the  Union.  A  small 
number  of  the  pieces  are  not 
German-Americana,  but  were 
shipped  to  the  library  with  such 
by  some  German  donors,  Since 
I  began  in  October,  1903,  to 
solicit  gifts  for  the  collection, 
about  5.200  volumes  and  pam- 
phlets were  contributed  until  the 
end  of  1907. 

1'he  reader  will   pardon  our  quoting 
lhe     following     bearing     on     the     use 


66 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


made  of  the     German     American  Col- 
lection ; 

"Klappern  gehort  zum  Hand- 
werk,"  some  one  may  fling  out 
jocosely  to  the  librarian, who  ven- 
tures to  speak  of  the  book  treas- 
ures of  his  institution  and  the 
use  made  of  them.  But  the 
numerous  donors  and  patrons  of 
our  collection,  who  are  scattered 
all  over  this  great  land,  have 
a  good  claim  to  be  informed  about 
the  extent  of  the  services  ren- 
dered by  the  collection  to  authors, 
iiistorians  and  the  general  public. 
It  has  been  impossible  to  keep 
detailed  statistics  thereon.  The 
work  most  called  for  is  T.  F. 
Chamber's  "The  early  Germans 
of  New  Jersey,  their  history, 
churches  and  genealogies."  1895 ; 
secfMidly.  the  publications  of  the 
Pennsylvania  -  German  Society. 
next,  the  monthly  periodical. 
"The    T'ennsylvania-German." 

Mr.  Helbig  has  done  well,  but  he 
does  not  propose  to  rest  on  his  oars 
as  may  be  inferred  {r>m\  his  language  : 
In  years  to  come,  writers  on 
the  economic  and  social  develo])- 
ment  of  the  American  peoj^le 
during  the  nineteenth  centur}' 
will  want  to  examine  critically 
the  share  and  influence  which 
the  millions  of  German,  immi- 
grants ha\e  had  therein.  In  the 
chapter  of  this  report  on  "news- 
l)apers  and  periodicals  as  source 
material."'  I  ha\e  already  -eferred 
to  the  importance  of  old  German 
newspaper  files.  Here  I  wish  to 
call  attention  t*^  the  -value  of  pro- 
ceedings, re])orts.  constitutions 
and  by-laws  and  all  other  printed 
matter  of  the  xarious  religious  de- 
nominations, schools,  mutual  aid 
oriza  nidations,     charitable     institu- 


tions, societies  for  the  cultivation 
of  literature,  music  and  singing, 
physical  education  and  sport,  etc. 
Although  we  have  obtained  a  good 
quantity  of  such  material,  much 
more  remains  to  be  gathered.  The 
indifiference  to  my  efforts  of  some 
of  the  officers  of  these  organiza- 
tions is  indeed  discouraging.  It 
may  be  merely  thoughtlessness  on 
their  i)art.  Holding  to  this  view 
1  shall  approach  these  officers 
and  societies  again  with  requests 
and  mention  the  result  in  a  later 
re|)ort  on  the  German  American 
collection.  But  as  fruitless  labor 
represents  also  sacrifices  of  my 
time  I^  shall  not  hesitate  to  pub- 
lish the  names  of  such  "Inaccess- 
ibles"  in  the  preset.  Perhaps 
some  other  peo]:)le  will  stir  theni 
u])  then. 

\\'e  regret  that  space  does  not  per- 
mit our  quoting  at  fuller  lenglh  from 
this  document.  If  the  reader  is  inter- 
ested he  can  get  the  reprint  itself  by 
addressing  Mr.  Richard  E.  Helbig. 
Lenox  Library,  New  York. 

The  officials  of  the  Penna- German 
Society  will  not  misconstrue  motives 
if  we  make  note  of  the  fact  that 
some  members  of  the  Society  are  of 
the  opinion  that  work  of  this  kind 
ought  to  be  carried  forward  by  the 
society.  This  b<^dy  has  done  well. 
Would  it  not  have  still  greater  in- 
fluence if  it  had  its  own  building  and 
collection,  surpassing,  rf  possible, 
the  work  accomplished  by  Mr. 
Helbig?  It  may  be  late  to  start  on 
the  work  but  this  is  not  regarded 
h^  ^11  members  of  the  society  as  a 
reasonable  reason  f(^r  not  making  an 
attemi)t.  What  do  our  readers  think 
of  hax'ing  a  home  and  historic  collec- 
ti(^n  under  the  auspices  of  the  Penna. - 
German   Sc^cietv? 


67 


Early  Moravian  Settlements  in  Berks  County 


By  Daniel  Miller,  Reading,  Pa. 

(concluded) 


THE    MORAVIANS    [N    HEIDELBERG 

Another  Moravian  settlement  was  in 
what  is  now  North  Heidelberg  town- 
ship, Rerks  county.  This  is  in  the 
Tnlpehocken  reg'ion,  and  the  place  of 
worship  was  where  the  present  North 
Heidelberg  Union  church  stands,  about 
five  miles  north  of  Robesonia.  It  was 
the  first  place  of  public  worship  in  the 
township,  and  is  now  the  only  church 
there.  The  first  settlers  in  that  region 
were  the  people  who  came  from  Scho- 
harie, N.  Y.,  with  the  two  Conrad 
Weisers  in  1723  and  1729  They  were 
nearly  all  Lutheran  and  Reformed 
people.  One  of  these  was  Tobias 
Bickel,  Reformed,  who  came  here  in 
1736  and  located  near  the  site  of  the 
present  church. 

The  Moravian  records  state  that 
Count  Zinzendorf  preached  frequently 
in  Heidelberg  in  1741  and  1742,  the 
last  time  in  December  of  the  latter 
year.  In  the  spring  of  1743  Rev.  Gott- 
lieb Blittner  was  sent  to  these  people, 
and  the}'  accepted  him.  R^-.  J.  P- 
Meurer  also  preached  at  this  place. 

Rev.  Jacob  Lischy,  who  was  ordain- 
ed in  January,  1743,  by  the  Moravians 
at  Bethlehem  to  preach  among  the  Re- 
formed people,  commenctd  his  work 
in  Heidelberg  in  the  same  year  soon 
after  his  ordination.  Services  were  held 
at  times  in  the  house  of  Tiibias  Bickel, 
immediately  east  of  the  present 
church,  and  in  the  house  of  Frederick 
Gerhart.  immediatl}'  west  of  the 
church.  The  Gerhart  tract  is  now  a 
fine,  large  farm.  At  first  Mr.  Lischy 
met  with  considerable  success.  But 
soon  dissatisfaction  arose  over  Mr. 
Lischy,  the  preacher.  The  people  were 
Reformed,  not  Moravians,  and  they 
charged  him  with  being  a  Moravian. 
He  tried  to  carry  water  on  both  shoul- 
ders and  to  serve  two  masters.     \Mien 


with  the  Reformed  people,  he  was  Re- 
formed ;  but  when  with  the  Moravians, 
he  was  one  of  them.  Already  in  the 
summer  of  his  first  year  matters  reach- 
ed a  critical  point,  and  Mr.  Lischy  call- 
ed a  conference  to  meet  at  Mr.  Bickel's 
house  on  August  29,  1743,  to  consider 
charges  made  against  him.  This  was. 
as  far  as  known,  the  first  meeting  of 
its  kind  ever  held  in  Berks  county.  It 
was  attended  by  fifty  elders  and  dea- 
cons from  twelve  places  where  Lischy 
had  been  preaching.  The  principal 
charge  against  him  was  that  he  was  a 
Zinzendorfer,       (  Moravian.  )  This 

shows  that  the  people  were  not  really 
.Moravians.  It  was  also  claimed  that 
he  was  not  an  ordained  minister. 
Lischy  denied  that  he  was  a  Moravian, 
but  admitted  that  he  respected  these 
peo':)le  as  Christians.  He  also  exhibit- 
ed his  certificate  of  ordination.  In 
this  way  he  succeeded  in  pacifying  the 
])e()ple. 

One  of  the  remarkable  things  in 
connection  with  this  meeting  is  that 
so  many  people  could  find  the  way  to 
this  is(^lated  place.  Many  came  from 
a  distance.  There  were  then  no  real 
roads,  only  Indian  trails  through  the 
then  wilderness-  The  place  is  hard  to 
find  cN'en  at  the  present  time.  Some 
years  ago  Rev.  T.  C.  Leinl^ach,  the 
present  pastor  of  the  Reformed  con- 
gregation, engaged  a  theological  stu- 
dent to  ])reach  in  the  North  Heidel- 
berg church.  The  student  came  on 
Sunday  morning  to  RobestMu'a  and 
started  oflf  to  the  church,  five  miles 
distant,  but  he  ne\"er  found  it,  and  the 
])eople  were  disappomte<l. 

A  meeting  similar  to  the  one  de- 
scribed above  was  held  in  Muddy 
Creek  church,  Lancaster  county,  for 
the  same  purpose,  on  March  21,  1745. 
There    Lischv   A\as   asked   whether   he 


(58 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


was  a  ]^Iora^•ian,  but  he  at  first  evaded 
the  question.  However,  when  con- 
fronted by  the  other  Moravian-Re- 
formed ministers  present,  Revs.  Bech- 
rel.  Rauch  and  Antes,  Lischy  publicly 
acknowledged  that  he  was  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Moravians  at  Bethlehem. 
Rut  there  also  he  persuaded  the  people 
to  continue  him  as  pastor. 

Mr.  Lischy's  activity  in  North 
Heidelbero^  was  of  short  duration.  It 
continued  only  about  a  year.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Rev-  Anthony  Wagner 
in  January,  1744.  Lischy's  conduct 
was  satisfactory  neither  to  the  people 
nor  to  the  Moravians  at  Bethlehem, 
lie  was  called  to  the  latter  place  and 
severely  reprimanded,  and  urged  to 
come  out  boldly  for  what  he  really 
stood.  He  wavered  a  long  time.  Fin- 
ally the  Synod  of  1747  insisted  that  he 
must  declare  himself  clearly.  This  he 
refused  to  do  for  some  tiuiC,  buc  finally 
in  1748.  he  turned  his  back  on  the 
Moravians,  returned  to  the  Reformed 
church,  and  was  some  time  later  ac- 
cented as  a  member  of  the  Coetus  or- 
ganized by  Schlatter  the  year  before. 
He  made  a  written  confession  of  his 
faith,  dated  October  29,  1748,  in  which 
he  declared  his  adherence  to  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Heidelberg  Catechism.  At 
the  same  time  he  expressed  himself  in 
severe  terms  against  the  Moravians. 
He  also  preached  and  published  a 
strong  sermon  against  them. 

THE  CHURCH 

.\fter  the  withdrawal  of  Lischy  from 
Xorth  Heidelberg  in  January,  1744. 
matters  moved  along  more  pleasantly 
under  the  ministrations  of  Rev.  An- 
thony \A"agner.  another  Moravian.  In 
that  year  a  small  log  church  and 
school  house  was  erected  upon  a  tract 
of  2%  acres  of  land  which  the  above- 
named  Tobias  Bickel  donated  for 
church  and  cemetery  purposes.  The 
building  was  dedicated  on  November 
4.  1744.  during  a  meeting  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Synod,  over  which  Rev. 
TIenrv  Antes  presided.  In  this  build- 
ing church  services  were  held  and  a 
school  conducted-     Five  months  later. 


on  April  9,  1745,  Bishop  A.  G.  Spang- 
enberg  organized  a  Moravian  con- 
gregation in  the  church,  and  adminis- 
tered the  communion  to  eight  persons. 
Frederick  Bickel,  a  brother  of  Tobias 
Bickel,  was  the  first  elder.  Soon  after 
the  membership  was  augmented  by 
Moravian  adherents  at  Rieth's  church, 
who  withdrew  there  on  account  of 
some  difficulties.  About  this  time  the 
membership  consisted  of  these  per- 
sons :Tobias  Bickel,  Frederick  Bickel. 
Stephen  Brecht,  John  Fisher,  sr.,  John 
Fisher,  jr.,  Frederick  Gerhart,  Nicholas 
Glass,  John  Graeff,  John  Zerby,  the 
wives  of  the  above  persons  and  John 
Keller,  a  widower.  Most  of  them  were 
Reformed.  Rev.  Daniel  Neubert  and 
his  wife  were  the  first  occupants  of  the 
dwelling  part  of  the  building. 

Although  the  log  church  was  erected 
in  1744,  Tobias  Bickel,  the  donor  of  the 
land,  gave  a  deed  only  on  May  15. 
1753,  when  he  conveyed  the  land  to 
John  Okely.  the  agent  of  the  Mora- 
\ians.  On  September  4,  of  the  same 
year  John  Okely  conveyed  the  same 
to  Christian  Henry  Rauch,  John  Bech- 
tel,  Henry  Antes,  Jacob  Miller  and 
John  Moyer  in  trust  for  the  congre- 
gation. 

It  appears  that  this  congregation. 
like  that  in  Oley.  never  had  a  particu- 
lar name.  Rev.  Reichel  states  that  "the 
awakened  of  this  neighborhood  applied 
to  the  Synod  to  be  permitted  to  enter 
their  connection  without  a  name." 

The  building  was  two-storied.  The 
first  story  was  occupied  by  the  teacher 
as  a  dwelling,  and  the  second  story 
was  used  for  school  and  church  pur- 
poses, the  same  as  in  the  case  of  the 
Olev  building.  The  school  included 
other  children  than  those  of  church 
members.  Daniel  Neubert  was  its  first 
teacher.  Subse(|uent  teachers  were 
Messrs.  U'crner,  Weile.  P.lat;':er  and 
Polk. 

This  early  log  church  was  remark- 
able for  its  size  and  substantial  charac- 
ter. There  are  people  still  living  who 
frequentlv  attended  services  in  it.  The 
old  church     stood  until  the  year     1862 


EARLY    MORAVIAN    SETTLEMENTS   IN   BERKS  COUNTY 


69 


ami  was  latterly  occuiiied  by  the  chor- 
ister. It  was  the  only  house  of  worshi]) 
in  the  lary-e  township  of  North  Heidel- 
berg- from  1/44  until  1846,  102  years, 
when  the  present  brick  church  was 
erected  at  the  same  place.  The  new- 
church  is  still  the  only  house  of  wor- 
shin  in  the  towMiship. 

It  has  fre(|uently  been  stated  that 
when  the  new  church  was  erected  in 
1846.  the  old  loi>-  church  was  demolish- 
ed. This  is  an  error.  The  old  church 
was  allowed  to  stand  until  1862,  as 
above  stated.  In  this  year  it  was  de- 
molished, and  the  lc\^s.  which  were 
still  in  g-ood  condition,  were  used  in 
erecting;  a  two-story  log  frame  house 
on  the  old  site.  This  house  is  at  present 
occu'iied  by  the  sexton  of  the  church, 
Mr.  \\^illiam  Kalbach. 

.\fter  Rev.  Anthony  Wagner  the 
congregation  was  supplied  by  Revs. 
Lenhart,  Ranch,  Schweinitz  and  Lich- 
tenthaeler,  Mr.  Lenhart  was  particu- 
larly i:»opular  among  the  Reformed  and 
Lutheran  people. 

As  at  Oley,  the  North  Heidelberg- 
congregation  was  never  strong,  and  its 
prosnerity  did  not  continue  long.  The 
membership  decreased,  partly  because 
of  the  removal  of  some  to  the  west,  and 
from  other  causes.  However  services 
were  maintained  for  a  long  time,  vast- 
ly longer  than  at  Oley.  About  the  year 
1830  the  North  Heidelberg  congrega- 
tion became  extinct,  although  a  few 
members  still  remained. 

About  1 83 1  the  Reformed  and  Lu- 
theran i)eople  took  possession  and 
established  nreaching  in  the  old  log 
church.  The  first  Reformed  pastor  ap- 
nears  to  have  been  Rev.  Benjamin 
I)oyer.  who  ])reached  also  at  Bern  and 
several  other  nlaces  in  Berks  County, 
at  .^tunr)stown  (Fredericksburg). 
Lebanon  countv.  and  also  in  Pine- 
grove.  Schuylkill  county.  He  was  fol- 
lowed by  Rev.  Isaac  Miesse,  another 
Reformed  minister,  who  served  some 
years.  .\  subsequent  Reformed  pastor 
was  Rev.  William  .\.  Good,  the  first 
sunerintendent  of  the  pul)lic  schools 
in  Berks  county,  who  served  two  terms 
in   this     |)psition,   froni      1854  to     t86o. 


Through  his  amiable  disposition  he 
(lid  much  to  allay  the  early  opposition 
against  the  new  school  system.  He 
served  as  i)astor  of  Bcrnville  and 
.Vorth  I  Iei(lell)erg  from  1854  to  i860. 
Many  of  the  older  residents  remember 
his  preaching  in  the  old  log  Moravian 
church  with  pleasure.  Mr.  Good  was 
the  father  of  Dr.  James  I.  Good,  a 
])rominent  minister  of  the  Reformed 
church.  In  i85o  Rev.  T.  C.  Leinbach 
became  the  Reformed  pastor  and  has 
continued  in  olYice  until  the  present 
time,  a  period  of  48  years.  One  of  the 
lirst  Lutheran  pastors  was  Rev.  Geo. 
\V.  Alennig.  At  present  the  Latheran 
congregation  is  vacant  and  is  being 
snp]died  1)y  \arious  ministers  and 
students. 

In  1846  the  Reformed  and  Lutheran 
l)eople,  with  the  assistance  of  the  few 
remaining  Moravians,  ■  erected  the 
I)resent  brick  church,  which  is  a  one- 
story  building  of  good  si/e  A  stone 
o\er  the  door  contains  this  inscrip- 
tion :  "Die  Neue  Nord  Heidelberg 
Kirche,  erbauet  im  Jahr  1846.  John 
Lamm  und  Jakob  Lengel,  Baumeister, 
John  Conrad,  Schatzmeister.  Bew^ahre 
deinen  Fuss,  wann  du  zum  Hause 
Gottes  gehest,  und  komme  class  du 
horest,  das  ist  besser  denn  der  Narren 
0')fer.  Einweihung  den  15  und  16  Mai. 
1847."  -^s  stated  above,  the  old  log- 
church  erected  in  1744  \vas  allowed  to 
stand  until   1862. 

THE  GRAVEYARD 

'ilie  old  graveyard  at  this  church  is 
a  \-erv  interesting  object.  Here  the 
evidence  is  found  that  although  the 
peo])le  at  first  refused  to  be  known  as 
Moravians,  afterward  the  Moravian 
customs  prevailed.  For  a  long  time 
the  Moravian  custom  of  laying  the 
tombstones  fiat  upon  the  graA-es  was 
followed — ai)i)arently  in  connection 
with  all  burials.  In  the  older  or  west- 
ern ])art  of  the  graveyard  all  the 
stones  were  i)laced  in  this  manner. 
Man\-  of  the  stones  had  sunk  some- 
what beneath  the  surface  of  the 
ground.  I  s])ent  the  greater  part  of  a 
(lav    ujxtn    this    interesting   and    sacred 


70 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


spot,  in  company  with  my  good  friend. 
-Mr.  William  D.  Klopp,  in  deciohering 
the  inscriptions  on  the  stones.  For- 
tunately some  one  had  visited  the 
place  a  few  weeks  previously  and 
raised  all  the  stones  which  had  been 
covered.  This  facilitated  my  work 
greatly. 

It  is  difficult  to  describe  my  leelings 
as  I  stood  at  the  graves  of  these 
people  who  came  here  i8o  years  ago 
and  founded  homes  in  a  wilderness 
among  the  Indians.  I  copied  the  in- 
scriptions on  all  the  old  gravestones, 
as  far  as  they  could  be  deci]:)hered. 
And  fortunately  and  singularly  nearly 
all  of  them  could  be  deciphered.  It  is 
surprising-  how  well  preserved  most 
of  the  inscriptions  are,  notwithstand- 
ing their  age.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
the  covering  of  moss  and  ground  has 
greatly  preserved  them  against  the 
ravages  of  time.  The  suggestion  of  a 
friend  greatly  aided  me  in  my  work, 
strewing  ground  upon  the  stones  and 
then  rubbing  them  with  grass.  This 
made  the  inscriptions  clear  to  a  re- 
markable extent.  Another  surprising 
thing  is  the  fact  that  many  of  the  in- 
scriptions on  the  early  tombstcnes  are 
in  English  or  Latin  letters,  and  sev- 
eral in  the  English  language.  This  is 
not  easily  explained,  since  the  people 
were  Germans.  Possibly  the  residence 
of  these  Palatines  in  New  York  state 
during  some  years  may  be  a  partial 
exi)lanation. 

Many  of  the  tt)mbstonc^  aro  num- 
bered. I  made  a  special  search  for  the 
tombstones  of  the  founders  of  the  con- 
greg'ation.  T  failed  to  find  those  of 
Tobias  P>ickel,  the  first  settler  and 
donor  of  the  church  land,  and  of  Fre- 
derick P)ickel,  his  brother  the  first 
elder.  lUit  I  found  that  of  Frederick 
(ierhart,  in  whose  house  the  pioneer 
ministers  preached,  and  that  of  Ste- 
])hen  Rrecht,  one  of  the  first  members. 

I  must  content  niA'self  Avith  giving 
only  a  few  of  the  inscriptions  on  the 
tombstones  at  North   Keidelbeig: 

Stephen  Brecht,  geboren  den  17 
Februar.  1692,  starb  den  24.  Sept.  An- 
no T747.  This  is  the  oldest  stone  found. 


Frederick  Gerhardt.  geboren  in  der 
Wetterau,  1714  den  26.  Mertz.  Ver- 
schied   1779,   der  30.  November. 

Maria  Riedin,  geboren  den  2ten 
Febr.,  1709.     Verschied  Oct.  6,  1760. 

Maria  Catharina  Conradin,  geboren 
in  Behl  bei  Laudau  in  der  Pfaltz,  den 
23ten  Sept.  1725.  Verschied  den  8ten 
Merz  1797. 

Jacob  Conrad,  geboren  in  Mintes- 
heim,  Hanauischen,  den  3  Febr.  1717. 
Verschied  den   5ten   September     1798. 

Johann  Tobias  Beckel,  wurde  ge- 
boren den  6ten  December  1754,  in 
Heidelberg,  und  starb  den  24ten  De- 
cember, 1814.  in  Harrisburg,  war  alt 
60  Jahr,  17  Tag. 

Anna  Sabilla  Fischer,  born  Jan.  7. 
1700,  in  Zenach,  departed  Dec.  16. 
1780. 

Christina  Boecklin,  born  May  6. 
1714.  in     Palatin.     Departed     Tan.  31. 

1 775-. 

Elizabeth  Wagnerin,  born  Oct.  4. 
1710,  at  Miilhausen.  Departed  May  8, 
1779. 

Elizabeth  Sturgis.  born  Dec.  13. 
1707.  died  April  8.   1768. 

Simon  Aigler,  born  April  I,  1717  at 
}ilanheim,  Wiirttemberg,  Starb  April 
6,  1788. 

Frederick  Unger.  born  November 
10,  1728,  in  Brandeburg  Departed 
April  2.  1779. 

The  names  occurring  most  frequent- 
ly are  Pdckel  and  Conrad.  The  for- 
mer is  spelled  in  three  ways — Boeckel. 
Beckel  and  Bickel. 

The  graveyard  is  kept  in  good  con- 
dition and  presents  a  strong  contrast 
to  that  in  Oley.  The  place  has  been 
much  enlarged.  The  buiials  in  more 
modern  times  have  been  made  in  the 
eastern  part,  where  all  the  stones  are 
standing,  although  many  of  them  are 
in  a  leaning  position  (^n  account  of  de- 
fectix'e  foundations.  The  Moravians 
still  have  a  legal  right  in  the  church 
]iroperty.  but  never  make  use  ot  it. 

Rev.  Mr.  Lischy  also  preached  for 
some  time  in  the  Bern  church,  nine 
miles  northward  of  Reading,  but  this 
was  never  a  Moravian  congregation. 
Tt   was   a   Reformed   congregation    or- 


EARLY    MORAVIAN    SETTLEMENTS   IN   BERKS  COUNTY 


71 


<,^anized  in  1739  by  Rev.  John  Plenry 
(joetscliey,  who  opened  the  baptismal 
record  in  the  same  year,  four  years  be- 
fore the  ordination  of  Libchy.  The 
people  accepted  Mr.  Lischy  probably 
l)ecause  of  the  scarcity  of  ministers 
and  because  Zinzendorf  had  recom- 
mended him  and  stated  that  he  had 
l)reached  in  Switzerland.  The  latter 
fact  created  confidence  in  Lischy, who 
then   preached   in    Bern   from    1743    to 

174.S- 

Lischy  from  the  first  met  with  much 
opposition  at  Hern,  but  his  friends 
took  possession  of  the  church  and  ad- 
mitted him.  He  reported  that  those 
who  were  awakened  here  held  to  the 
.Morth  Heidelbero^  church.  He  also 
reported  that  if  the  people  had  not 
been  so  stifif  Reformed,  the  congrega- 
tion could  have  been  won  for  the 
Mora\ians,  which  had  been  the  inten- 
tion. Jacob  Risser  testified  at  one 
time  that  he  heard  Count  Zinzendorf 
tell  Lischy  in  his  own  (Risser's) 
Itouse  to  take  charge  of  the  Reformed 
at  Bern  and  bring  them  over  to  him. 
Tn  February.  1745,  Mr.  Lischy  report- 
ed eleven  "awakened"  souls  at  Bern. 
Seven  of  these  were  Reformed. 

Lischy  also  preached  several  times 
at  the  Blue  IMountain  in  Berks  county, 
as  well  as  at  various  places  in  adjoin- 
ing counties.  He  was  the  first  Mora- 
\ian  representative  to  visit  Lebanon, 
which  occured  in  May  of  1743,  and  a 
congregation  was  organized  at  Heb- 
ron, then  a  suburb  of  Lebanon  in  1745. 
lie  also  preached  at  Warwick  now 
[jtitz,  Lancaster  county  until  1747, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Daniel 
Xeubert,  who  laid  the  foundations  for 
the  present  large  Moravian  congrega- 
tion in   Lititz. 

Rev.  Mr.  Lischy  was  an  unfortu- 
nate man.  There  was  con  --tant  trouble 
with  him.  He  was  disobedient,  and 
was  later  charged  with  falling  into 
grievous  sins.  .'Xfter  leaving  Berks 
county  he  ])reached  in  York  county 
at  se\eral  places.  In  the  western  part 
of  that  county  he  founded  a  congrega- 
tion which  still  bears  his  name.  He 
was  deposed   from   the    ministry,    and 


finally  retired  to  a  farm,  where  he  re- 
sided until  his  death  in   1781. 

THE   MORAVIANS   AT   RIETH'S   CHURCH 

The  Moravians  sought  to  obtain  a 
foothold  in  the  Lutheran  RiethV 
church  in  the  Tulpehocken  region, 
near  Stouchsburg,  in  the  western  ])art 
of  Berks  county.  The  original  mem- 
bers had  come  there  in  1723  with  Con- 
rad Weiser,  sr.  In  1727  a  small  log 
church  was  erected.  The  building  was 
also  intended  to  serve  as  a  place  of  se- 
curity and  defense  against  the  Indians. 
For  this  pur])ose  a  vault  was  con- 
structed under  the  earthen  floor  of  the 
church,  where  arms  and  ammunition 
might  be  stored.  In  1729  Conrad 
Weiser,  jr.,  arrived  with  the  second 
colony  of  Palatines  from  New  York, 
and  he  at  once  united  with' the  flock. 
Whilst  the  building  was  Lutheran 
property,  the  Reformed  people  also 
worshiped  in  it  for  a  number  of  years. 
Rev.  John  P.  Boehm  administered  the 
first  communion  to  the  Reformed 
])eople  in  October  of  1727  to  32  pers- 
ons. From  1 73 1  to  1755  the  erratic 
Rev.  John  Peter  Miller  was  the  Re- 
formed pastor,  until  he  together  with 
Conrad  Weiser.  the  schoolmaster  and 
four  elders,  united  with  the  Seventh 
Day  Baptists  at  Ephrata.  Miller  be- 
came the  head  of  their  cloister,  but 
Weiser  returned  to  the  Lutheran 
church. 

For  some  3'ears  the  people  at  Rieth's 
could  not  secure  a  regular  pastor.  In 
1733  Casper  Leutbecker,  a  pious  tailor 
and  schoolmaster,  commenced  to 
serve  the  Lutheran  people  as  "  Yor- 
leser,"  conducting  services  and  read- 
in*  sermons.  He  was  afterward  made 
their  regular  pastor.  Not  long  after 
a  conflict  arose  which  became  very 
bitter  and  continued  a  long  time.  This 
period  is  known  as  the  "Tulpehocken 
Confusion,"  It  is  stated  that  the  dif- 
ficulty arose  through  the  refusal  of 
Rev.  y\r.  Leutbecker  to  baptize  a 
child,  which  an  intoxicated  man  had 
brought.  Upon  a  second  refusal  by 
Mr.  Leutbecker  the  fathci-  went  to  the 
Conestoga    in    Lancaster    county     and 


72 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


engaged  Rev.  Casper  Stoever  to  bap- 
tize the  child.  The  latter  consented, 
came  to  Tulpehocken  and  baptized  the 
child.  This  act  gave  great  offense  to 
the  people,  and  soon  there  were  two 
parties — a  Leutbecker  and  a  Stoever 
])arty.  Mr.  Stoever  commenced  to 
])reach  in  barns,  and  soon  after  secured 
entrance  into  the  church.  For  some 
time  there  were  two  sets  of  Lutheran 
church  officers,  and  two  parties  con- 
tended for  the  control  of  the  church. 
The  authorities  decided  in  favor  of  the 
Leutbecker  party.  It  is  claimed  that 
several  efforts  were  uiade  to  kill  Rev, 
Air.  Leutbecker.  This  sad  experience 
<leStroyed  his  health  and  he  died  in 
1738.  Bishop  Spangenberg  preached 
his  funeral  sermon.  Rev.  Mr.  Stover 
now  had  full  sway  for  several  years. 
About  this  time  the  Reformed  people 
withdrew  and  erected  a  Reformed 
church  at  Host,  five  miles  north  of 
Womelsdorf. 

Conrad  Weiser  held  to  the  Leut- 
becker party.  In  1742  Weiser  brought 
Count  Zinzendorf,  the  Moravian  lead- 
er, to  Tul])ehocken,  and  later  Zinzen- 
dorf sent  Rev.  Gottlieb  Biittner,  one 
■)f  those  ordained  at  the  great  meeting 
in  Oley,  in  February  of  the  same  A^ear. 
to  preach  in  the  Rieth  church.  It 
is  claimed  that  Zinze'idorf  here  renre- 
sented  himself  as  a  Lutheran.  The 
comuig  of  Rev.  Biittner  wa-  by  no 
means  calculated  to  end  the  struggle, 
but  rather  to  intensify  it.  The  Stoev- 
er ])arty  regarded  him  as  an  u)i-Luth- 
eran  interloper.  Lie  soon  became  dis- 
gusted and  left.  Zinzendorf  again 
N'isited  the  ulace  in  the  beginning  of 
August  of  the  same  year,  1742.  but  he 
was  threatened  with  jiersonal  injury. 
The  confusion  was  now  great.  The 
Moravians  were  largely  blamed  for 
ihe  continuance  of  this  trouble.  The 
church  officers  at  this  time,  under  date 
of  :\ngust  TT,  T742.  ])ublished  a  state- 
ment which  was  attested  by  Conrad 
Weiser.  and  this  had  a  pacifying  ef- 
fect. 

Soon  after  another  Moraxian  minis- 
ter. Rev.  1.  Philip  Meurer.  arrived 
ffi  nu  Furore  and  assumed  the  ])astor- 


ate  at  Rieth's  church.  The  Stoever 
party  was  greatly  in  the  minority, 
and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  1742, 
withdrew  and  organized  Christ  Luth- 
eran church  and  located  a  mile  west 
of  Stouchburg.  The  Moravians  now 
had  full  control   for  some  years. 

In  1745  the  people  resolved  to  erect 
a  new  church  at  Rieth's,  durmg  the 
pastorate  of  Rev.  J.  P.  Meurer.  By 
invitation  of  the  trustees  Bishop 
St)angenberg,  Zinzendorf's  successor, 
laid  the  corner-stone  on  April  i.  A 
hymn  was  sung  which  had  been  com- 
posed for  the  occasion,  and  which 
was  afterward  included  in  the  Mora- 
vian hymn  book.  The  new  church 
was  dedicated  on  December  i,  1745,  by 
Bishop  Spangenberg.  Rev.  Abraham 
Reincke  and  Pastor  Meurer.  The  com- 
munion was  administered  to  22  pers- 
ons. The  congregation  at  that  time, 
according  to  the  list  placed  into  the 
corner-stone,  consisted  of  thirteen 
families  and   yj  children. 

Soon  after  this  the  Moravian  influ- 
ence at  Rieth's  declined.  In  1745 
some  of  the  Moravians  withdrew  and 
united  with  the  flock  in  North  lleidel- 
])erg.  After  some  time  the  Moravians 
claimed  a  property  right  in  Rieth's 
cliurch  on  account  of  having  contrib- 
uted to  its  erection.  Subsequently 
tiiey  brought  suit,  and  the  matter 
came  to  trial  in  April  26,  1755.  and  the 
decision  was  in  favor  of  th.e  Lutherans 
and  against  the  Moravians. 

This  ended  the  effort  of  the  Mora- 
\ians  to  establish  themselves  in  the 
Rieth's  church.  The  Moravian  min- 
isters who  preached  at  various  times 
at  Rieth's  seem  to  have  been  Bishops 
Zinzendorf.  Snangenberg  and  Cam- 
merhof,  and  Revs.  Gottlieb  Biittner. 
I.  P.  Meurer,  ].  H.  Rahner,  Andrew 
Eschenbach,  C.  fl.  Ranch,  George 
Xiecke.  lohn  Brucher  and  I.  C.  Pyr- 
laus. 

The  stone  church  of  1745  was  used 
until  1837.  when  a  new  and  much 
larger  stone  church  was  erected  at  the 
old  site.  Tliis  third  church  stood  un- 
til   1002,   Avhen   it  a\  as  demolished,  af- 


EAUT.Y   MORAVIAN   SETTLEMENTS   IN   BERKS  CO. 


U'l"  the  coiii^Tegation  had  erected  a  new 
churcli    ill    the   villai^e  of  Stouchshurg. 

AT  MOLATTON 

The  A'Jora\ians  also  made  an  eft'ort 
to  gain  entrance  at  INlolatton,  now 
Douglassville.  in  the  southern  part  of 
I'.erks  count}".  This  place  was  a  part 
of  tlie  large  .Manatawny  tract  which 
was  taken  tip  in  1701  by  Rev.  .\ndre\\ 
Rudman,  who  came  to  America  in 
1697.  and  a  number  of  other  Lutheran 
Swedes  who  had  ]M-eceded  him  to  the 
Xew  \\'orld.  Ilere  they  erected  a 
small  log  church  about  the  year  1700. 
which  was  the  first  house  of  worship 
ever  erected  in  Berks  county.  Rev. 
Mr.  Rudman  was  ])astor  of  the  Wi- 
caco  church  in  Philadelphia  and  also 
supplied  Afolatton.  Rev.  Mr.  Hesse- 
lius  was  the  first  resident  pastor  at 
Molatton.  lie  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
Gabriel  balk  who  commenced  the 
church  record  in  1735.  He  was  pastor 
until  1745.  in  1736  a  new  and  larger 
log  church  was  commenced,  but  com- 
l)leted  only  in  1737.  In  this  second 
church  a  number  of  conferences  were 
held  between  the  Indians  and  govern- 
ment officials.  This  church  stood  un- 
til i<^3i.  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire. 

In  1742  the  Moravians  sough.t  to  se- 
cure possession  of  this  church,  under 
the  leadershi])  of  Count  Zinzendorf. 
who  visited  the  place.  A  young  Swede 
uamed  Rrycelius  was  sent  to  IMolat- 
tnn.  .\s  stated,  the  first  settlers  there 
were  Lutheran  Swedes.  By  this  time 
the  settlement  also  included  some 
luigiish.  Irish  and  German  people. 
The  young  man  met  with  some  suc- 
cess in  winning  the  favor  of  the 
people,  and  he  announced  services  in 
the  church  to  be  conducted  by  himself 
on  a  certain  day.  On  this  occasion 
Pastor  Falk  went  early  to  chuich  and 
in  the  pulpit  awaited  the  arrival  of  the 
young  missionar}-.  .\fter  the  people 
had     assembled     in     the     church,    the 


young  Swede  made  his  a|)])earance. 
Pastor  b'alk.  who  was  then  already  an 
aged  man.  came  down  from  the  pul- 
l)it,  met  him  and  said:  "Vou  enter  the 
sheepfold  as  a  thief  and  murderer." 
and  at  the  same  time  gave  him  a  se- 
vere blow  upon  the  mouth.  Before  a 
confiict  could  arise  the  peojjle  se])a- 
rated  the  two. 

It  is  stated  that  the  .Min-a\ians  se- 
cured some  foothold  at  Molatton,  be- 
cause Re\'.  Mr.  Vr\\<  was  frequently 
away  from  home.  Then  he  was  an 
aged  man.  and  could  no  longer  win 
the  i)eo])le  to  himself  as  the  young 
Swede  could  do.  Besides  the  Mora- 
\ians  offered  to  preach  without  re- 
muneration, and  this  pleased  some  of 
the  people.  Cut  their  success  was 
only  temporar}',  and  the  effort  to  es- 
tablish a  Moravian  flock  at  Molatton 
was  soon  abandoned. 

These  statements  are  not  made  in 
the  spirit  of  criticism.  The  Moravians 
no  doubt  acted  from  good  motives. 
The  facts  are  cited  merely  as  matters 
of  history.  As  far  as  I  know  there  are 
at  present  no  Moravians  in  Berks 
county.  There  are  a  few  persons  of 
Moravian  descent  here,  but  they  are 
members  of  other  denominations. 
Xearly  all.  if  not  all.  those  who  com- 
posed the  two  small  flocks  in  Oley 
and  North  Heidelberg,  had  been  won 
from  other  denominations,  and  when 
the  congregations  collapsed  the  re- 
maining members,  with  few  excep- 
tions, returned  to  the  original  church 
affiliations  of  their  fathers. 

*January  issue  near  foot  of  page  23, 
second  column,  should  read:  The  first 
Bishop  was  David  Nitchman,  who  was  con- 
secrated  in   1735. 

Page  28  top  of  1st  column,  the  b  iptismal 
or  Christian  names  of  the  Indians  should 
have  been:  Shabash  was  baptized  Abraham: 
Stein,  Isaac:  and  Kiop.  .Jacob;  and  the 
name  Okely  omitted. 

A  few  lines  below  these  "precautions" 
should  read  persecutions,  and  on  page  29, 
2nd   col.   numerous  "lots"  should  be  holes. 


John  Early  (Johannes  Oehrle)  and  His  Descendants 

By  Rev.  J.  W.  Early,  Reading,  Pa. 


HE   spelling'  of  the  original 
family    name    is    not    the 
same    everywhere.       In 
Switzerland    it    is    gener- 
ally      spelled  Oehrle. 
Throughout        Wuertem- 
burg,      vvhence    John     E. 
came,   it   is    most    gener- 
ally Oehrle.     In  some     instances  it    is 
Oehrlin.     In  some  older  records  Ehrle 
is  frequently  met  with. 

It  will  not  be  necessary  to  give  an 
extended  history  of  his  ancestry,  so 
far  traceable  only  to  his  grandfather, 
Thomas  Oehrle,  who  is  said  to  have 
come  from  L'Lauffen  Oberamt 
(county  seat)  Balingen,  near  the 
Swiss  boundary.  In  his  new  home. 
Jesingen,  Ober-amt  Kirchheim  an 
der  Feck,  his  family  attained  some 
l^rominence.  his  son  having  become 
town  clerk  and  having  married  into 
the  family  of  the  judge  and  treasurer 
of  the  town. 

THOMAS   OEHRLE,   S'NR. 

In  1670  he  married  Agatha  Eud- 
riss  at  Jessingen.  He  died  prior  to 
1710.  She  died  in  171 1.  They  had 
nine  children.  John  George,  b.  1672 ; 
Anna  Mary  b.  1673 ;  John  b.  1675 ; 
Agnes  b.  1676;  Agatha  b.  1677;  Jacob 
b.  Sept.  1679 ;  Barbara.  1681  ;  Rosina. 
1684;  Thomas.  May  1687.  Nothing  is 
known  about  any  of  them  except 
Jacob  and  Thomas. 

JACOB  OEHRLIN 

It  is  a  pecular  fact  that  Jacob  Oehr- 
lin the  older  of  these  two  boys  who  be- 
came a  weaver,  generally  spelied  his 
name  Oehrlin.  He  married  Anna 
Regina  Kihlkopf  of  Ohinden  near 
Kirchheim,  Feby.  4,  1704.  These  child- 
ren were  born  to  them  ;  Rosina,  1706, 
were  born  to  them :  Rosina,  1706. 
died  the  same  year;  Anna  Catharine, 
1707  and   died    1708;   Joseph     Ludwig, 


(^f  him  we  have  no  further  informa- 
tion. Being  left  a  widower  Jacob 
married  again  —  Margaret  —  whose 
family  name  is  not  given.  He  died 
Sept.   26,    1744,  aged  65   years 

THOMAS   OEHRLE 

The  youngest  son,  as  well  as 
youngest  child,  was  a  school  teacher 
at  Jesingen.  He  afterward  became 
Court  Clerk.  February  25,  1710,  he 
married  Margaret,  daughter  of  Jacob 
Fensterle,  judge  and  treasurer  of  the 
town.  Nine  children  were  born  to 
them.  Thomas  b.  1710  and  died  1713  : 
Christine,  1712;  John  Jacob,  I7i4and 
died  1717;  John  Martin,  1716  and 
died  1717;  Anna  Catharine,  1718: 
Anna  Margaret  1721,  died  in  infancy; 
George  and  John  Jacob,  twins,  1722. 
both  dying  under  five  years  of  age, 
and  John,  Jan.  9,  1724.  The  wife  died 
February   8,    1735. 

He  married  again — Christine  All- 
geier,  daughter  of  Conrad,  a  judge  at 
this  time.  They  had  Thomas,  1736. 
(lied  1745;  John  George.  1738  and 
died  1746;  Agnes,  1739,  died  1741 ; 
Anna  Barbara,  1741,  became  the  wife 
of  George  Haiteman ;  a  farmer  of 
Jesingen.  She  died  1798;  Christine, 
1743;  Conrad  1746,  died  17^7.  Thomas 
E.,  died  Nov.  25,  1746.  aged  59^ 
years.  It  will  be  seen  from  this  that 
John,  the  youngest  son  of  the  first 
wife,  was  the  only  male  descendant 
who  reached  the  age  of  manhood,  and 
that  unless  his  cousin  Joseph  Ludwig 
reached  maturity  and  married,  when 
John  came  to  America,  this  family 
had  died  out  in  Germany,  and  there- 
fore Jacob  Early  of  Amity  township, 
Berks  county.  afterAvards  of  Donegal. 
Lancaster  county,  must  have  belong- 
ed to  another  family.  We  think  the 
supposition  that  he  came  from  Lauf- 
fen,  retaining  the  old  spelling  Ehrle. 
would     hardlv     be      considered      far- 


JOHN  EARLY   (JOHANNES  OEHRLE )   AND  HIS  DESCENDANTS 


75 


ielchcd.    although    it    could    hardly    be 
considered   as   proven. 

JOHN    EARLY— IMMIGRANT 

At  the  ai^e  of  26  he  left  Jesingen 
and  set  sail  for  America.  He  arrived 
at  Philadelphia  in  the  ship  Brothers, 
from  Rotterdam,  Capt.  Muir,  Aug.  24, 
1750.  He  seems  to  have  found  his  way 
at  once  to  Londonderry  township, 
[^ancaster  county,  then  Dauphin,  now 
Lebanon  county,  Pa.  It  was  this 
l)eculiar  shifting  of  township  rela- 
tion that  gave  rise  to  the  strange,  al- 
though true  statement,  that  two  of  his 
grandsons,  although  remaining  in  the 
same  township  during  their  entire 
lives,  were  born  in  Lancaster,  mar- 
ried in  Dauphin,  died  and  were  buried 
in  Lebanon  county,  without  removing 
from  their  original  district. 

Apparently  he  did  not  remain  here 
\ery  long.  In  175 1  we  find  him  in  the 
newly  laid  out  town  of  Reading,  where 
he  had  bought  lot  135,  where  the 
bookstore  of  John  George  Hintz  and 
the  store  immediately  west  of  it  are 
now  located.  Although  he  gives  his 
residence  as  Londonderry  township, 
Lancaster  county,  he  evidently  pur- 
])osed  to  remain  at  Reading,  for  some 
time.  h'nr  in  January  1752  we  find 
him  among  the  members  of  Trinity 
l\\angelical  Lutheran  church.  Peter 
Schneider  and  he  were  made  the 
lUiildino-  Committee.  Building  Mas- 
ters they  .are  called.  The}^  evidently 
had  the  o\ersight  of  the  operations 
and  did  the  car]K^nter  work.  John  E. 
was    a    carpenter. 

April  10.  1753.  he  married  Susanna 
lirumbach.  Christian,  a  son,  was 
)>()rn  to  them  January  13,  1754.  In 
the  latter  part  of  October  or  the  first 
half  of  Xi)\-ember  the  wife  died.  She 
was  a  member  of  the  Reformed 
church. 

h'arly  in  spring  the  following  year 
we  find  he  has  taken  u])  his  residence 
in  Londonderry  again.  March  ii, 
( .Stoe\er  says  loth)  he  married  ]\Iary 
Regina  Lichele.  a  family  name  which 
is  s]:)elled  al)out  half  a  dozen  different 


ways  by  Stoever.  Ilis  children  by 
this  marriage  were  John,  b.  July  2, 
1757;  John  William,  Aug.  10,  1763; 
Thomas,  November  4,  1767;  Anna 
Catharine.  July  7,  1772;  Anna,  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1779;  four  others  whose 
names  are  not  recorded.  He  died  Oc- 
tober 19.  1796,  aged  "^2  years,  9  months 
and  10  days.  He  was  buried  at  the 
Bindnagel's  church,  of  which  he  was 
one  of  the  principal  members,  and  ap- 
parently one  of  the  founders. 

He  showed  his  deep  interest  in  this 
church  by  formulating  a  plan  for  its 
endowment.  He  took  seven  pounds 
of  the  money  in  its  treasury,  paying 
one  shilling  per  pound  interest,  and 
adding  seven  shillings  annually  until 
the  whole  sum  should  bring  two 
pounds  interest  per  annum.  After 
that  stage  was  reached  there  was  to 
be  a  settlement,  and  from  that  time  on 
(^ne  half  of  the  interest  was  to  be 
paid  to  the  pastor  and  the  other  half 
was  to  be  added  to  the  principal. 
There  was  another  fund — the  bequest 
of  Geo.  Bergner,  another  member  of 
the  congregation.  The  principal,  one 
hundred  pounds,  was  to  be  put  at  in- 
terest, one  third  of  the  income  was 
for  the  pastor,  another  third  for  the 
schc~)ol  teacher,  and  the  othc  third 
was  to  he  added  to  the  principal. 

At  first  he  resided  about  half  a  mile 
south  of  the  Bindnagel's  church,  on  a 
part  of  the  Hindnagel  tract.  In  1773 
he  bought  the  "Betines"  farm  from 
Leonard  Deimnever.  Its  northeast 
corner  touched  the  i:)resent  Palmyra 
cemetery.  Avhich  at  that  time  was  the 
southwest  corner  of  the  John  Adam 
Deinmyer  farm,  which  extended  east- 
ward and  included  the  entire  site  o^ 
Palmyra,  eastward  from  thac  point. 
What  the  relationship  of  the  two 
Deinmyers  was  we  are  unable  to  say. 
The  "Betimes"  farm  was  first  deeded 
to  Leonard  Deinmyer  in  1751.  About 
20  years  later  John  Karly  sold  a  striji 
of  50  acres  to  his  son  Christian,  who 
again  sold  it  to  .\ndrew  Henrv.  This 
is  now  a  part  of  the  Oliver  Henry 
farm.       The     balance    of    nearly    200 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


acres  became  the  property  of  the  sec- 
ond son,  John  Early,  Esq.,  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  of  the  third  district,  Ann- 
ville  and  Londonderry.  His  widow 
survived  him  from  15  to  20  years, 
being-  present,  as  sponsor,  at  the  bap- 
tism of  a  g-reatgrandson  in  181 1.  No 
trace  of  the  time  of  her  death  or  the 
|)lace  of  burial  has  been  found 

CHRISTIAN  EARLY 

The  first  of  this  family  born  in  this 
country  married  Elizabeth  Killinger, 
May  24.  1779.  Their  children  as  re- 
corded in  the  family  Bible,  were : 
Christian,  b.  Aug.  25,  1780.  died  Sept. 
4,  1781  ;  John,  February  18,  1783; 
Anna  Catharine,  May  3,  1784;  Wil- 
liam. Aug.  20,  1785:  John  George. 
March  29,  1787,  died  March  7,  1848; 
Susanna,  December  7,  1788;  Eliza- 
beth. March  15,  1790;  Christian,  Jan. 
12,  1795;  the  name  of  the  one  .between 
these  last  two  is  entirely  illegible ; 
Regina.  February  25,  1799;  Thomas, 
March  29,  1801  ;  Margaret,  June  12, 
1803.  Apparently  Christian  Earl  re- 
sided on  his  father's  original  tract,  a 
short  distance  south  of  the  Bindnagel 
church  for  a  time.  Then  he  bought 
30  acres  of  the  northern  part  of  the 
"Retimes"  farm.  This  he  subse- 
quently sold  to  Andrew  Henrv  (snr.) 
lie  then  purposed  going  into  the 
iron  business  and  bought  a  tract  close 
to  the  Manada  Creek.  But  finding  his 
means  inadecjuate,  he  disposed  of  this 
tract,  and  uurchased  a  piece  of  land, 
several  miles  farther  southeast,  and 
erected  a  grist  and  saw  mill  on  the 
Poe  or  Bow  creek.  Up  to  within  a 
few  years  ag^o  it  was  still  owned  by 
his  descendants.  Tt  is-  still  known  as 
F^arly's  Mill.  It  was  carried  on  by 
his  son  John  George,  and  after  him  by 
Iiis  grandson. 

It  is  said  that  while  engaged  in 
helping  to  rebuild  the  Bindnagel 
church,  there  being  neither  bridge  nor 
ferry  at  the  time,  he  fell  into  the  icy 
waters  of  the  Swatara  while  floating 
lumber  across.     Through  this  he  con- 


tracted a  cold  from  which  he  never  re- 
covered. He  died  Auguest  23,  1803. 
at  the  age  of  49  years,  7  months  and 
10  days.  Nearly  all  the  Earlys  of 
Hanover,  and  they  are  quite  numer- 
ous, are  his  descendants.  One  of  them. 
Dr.  Early,  formerly  of  Belle  Grove, 
Lebanon  county,  had  settled  in  Read- 
ing, a  few  years  ago,  but  he  died 
young.  They  are  related  to  the  Kil- 
lingers,  the  Heilmans,  the  Beavers, 
the  Poormans.  and  m  fact  to  nearly 
all  the  families  of  that  section.  This 
branch  of  the  family  is  noted  for 
great  physical  strength.  There  are 
numerous  traditions  concerning  ex- 
hibitions of  strength  on  the  part  of 
the  older  settlers.  It  is  said  of  one  of 
the  K's  that  upon  a  banter  he  would 
take  a  barrel  of  cider  by  the  ends  and 
lift  it  on  a  wagon.  It  is  also  related 
concerning  a  member  of  this  family, 
E.  of  Hanover  that  having  gone  to  the 
mountain  at  the  time,  returning-  he 
met  a  bear.  Bruin  evidently  desir- 
ous of  making  his  acquaintance,  came 
towards  him.  The  man  ran  to  a  large 
chestnut  tree.  But  before  he  could 
climb  it,  the  bear  was  there  too.  So 
they  had  a  sprinting  match  around 
the  tree  for  a  time.  Finding  that  he 
was  becoming  winded,  the  man 
concluded  that  he  might  as  well  meet 
the  bear  first  as  last.  So  he  stopped 
and  Bruin  advanced  to  the  fray  on 
his  hind  feet.  The  man  seized  him 
by  the  jaw  and  began  to  kick  him  in 
the  groin.  The  result  was  a  dead 
bear.  The  man  becoming  the  victor, 
lived  on  bear  meat  for  a  while.  No 
affidavits  were  ever  made  in  this  case. 
But  stories  of  this  character  are  ofif- 
set  by  others,  tending  to  show  that 
people  everywhere  will  boast  some- 
times. It  is  said  that  one  of  the  H. 
family  at  one  time  was  boasting  of 
the  great  physical  strength  of  an 
uncle,  and  said:  "Der  vetter  is  awer 
stark.  Er  hot  a  Sack  voll  Spreu 
g'shouldert  vor'm  Morge  Esse." 
Everyone  can  draw  his  own  conclu- 
sions as  to  a  feat  of  that  kind. 


77 


Charles  Shearer  Keyser 


A   PENN-GERMAN   WHOSE   INFLUENCE   FOR   GOOD    STILL    SURVIVES 
ONE  OF  THE  FOUNDERS  OF  KAIRMOUNT  PARK,  PHILADELPHIA 

By  Naaman  H.  Keyser,  D.  D.  S.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


1 1  E  late  Charles  Shearer 
Keyser.  the  subject  of 
our  sketch.  \vas  born  in 
Germantown,  June  i8, 
1825.  He  was  the  son  of 
Joseph  and  Susan  Shear- 
er Keyser  and  grandson 
of  Jacob  Souplis  Keyser, 
who  built  the  house  m  which  he  was 
born.  No.  6207  Main  street.  It 
stands  next  above  the  original  Key- 
ser house  the  ancestor  of  the  family  in 
America,  who  came  from  Amsterdam 
Holland,  and  settled  in  Germantown. 
in    1688. 

Charles  S.  Keyser  received  his 
early  education  in  Germantown.  In 
1842  he  entered  the  University  of 
Penns3dvania.  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  1848.  During  the  Civil 
War  he  served  as  a  private  in  the 
First  City  Trooo,  attached  to  the 
Second  United  States  Cavalr}'.  under 
Colonel  George  H.  Thomas  He  served 
one  term  in  City  Councils  Fie  was 
a  fluent  talker  in  English  and  Ger- 
man and  was  often  called  u])on  to 
make  addresses.  He  took  an  active 
interest  in  labor  iiroblems.  and  was  at 
one  time  the  labor  party's  candidate 
for   District    Attorney. 

Afr.  Keyser  was  one  of  the  original 
l)romoters  of  Fairmount  Park,  and  his 
tracts  did  much  to  induce  the  city  to 
I^urchase  the  private  estates  along  the 
Schuylkill.  In  uS^A  he  oublished  a 
paper  on  "Lenntu  Hill."  Of  this 
jiamphlet  Ferdinand  j.  Dreer.  the 
owner  (^f  Lemon  Hill,  afterwards 
said:  "Mr.  Keyser  called  i)ublic  at- 
tention to  the  importance  of  securing 
them  ( the  pieces  of  ground  now  con- 
stituting Fairmount  Park.)  and  which 
doubtless  had  a  large  influence  in 
the    result."       .Mr.    Kevser    wrote    ex- 


ten  si  \ely  on  social  and  political  sub- 
jects. Among  his  works  are  "Fair- 
mount  Park."  "Penn's  Treaty," 
"Memoirs  of  William  H.  Engflish," 
"Memoirs  of  Judge  Sharswood,"  "Thr 
Crime  of  1873,"  ^"  omitted  chapter  in 
the  "  Recollection  of  John  Sherman," 
"Independence  Hall."  an  account  o'' 
the  building  of  the  hall  and  of  its 
builder,"  "  The  Supreme  Court 
Room."  "History  of  the  Liberty  Bell" 
(this  article  was  used  by  City  Coun- 
cils in  ])ublishing  pamphlets  that  were 
distributed  throughout  the  country, 
when  the  Liberty  Bell  was  taken  on 
its  different  journeys)  ;  "  Minden 
.\rmais,"  "The  Man  of  the  Nev 
Race."  a  ])lea  for  the  colored  people. 

He  comjjiled  the  genealogy  of  the 
Keyser  family,  in  1889.  a  liook  of  his- 
torical value. 

In  i86r)  he  married  Sophronia  Mac- 
Kay  Xorris.  They  had  one  daughte" 
Suzanne  Keyser  Roth.  who  nov 
li\es   in    New   York. 

Mr.  KcA'^ser  was  master  of  cere 
monies  of  the  celebration  in  the  Cen- 
tennial grounds  July  5.  1875.  and  was 
author  of  the  plan  through  which  the 
statuarv  commemorative  of  the  Revo- 
lution was  erected  in  the  Ccntetinia' 
(Grounds  in  1876.  He  also  was  a 
member  of  the  T^-esident's  Advisory 
IJoard  of  the  ignited  States  Centen- 
nial Commission  for  the  ceremonies 
in  Indeoendence  Square,  on  July  4. 
1876.  Mr.  Keyser  was  much  inter 
ested  in  the  establishment  of  smal" 
;)arks  and  play  grounds  throughou- 
the  city.  He  made  the  i^rincii^al  ad- 
dress at  the  dedication  of  Vernon 
Park.    Germantown.   in    i8c)C). 

Mr.    Keyser   was   on    the   board   tha' 
had    charge    of   the    restoration    of    Iri 
denendcnce  Hall  and  was  the  one  wh  > 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


opposed  the  removal  of  the  old  court 
l)nildings.  His  opposition  did  not 
cuail  and  after  new  building's  had 
1)een  erected  on  the  site,  it  was  found 
that  he  was  correct,  and  that  the  orig- 
inal buildings,  although  somewhat 
altercfl  in     appearance,     had     been  re- 


school  children  in  the  history  of  the 
city.  To  this  end  he  offered  prizes 
for  essays,  and  also  conducted  par- 
ties of  boys  through  Indenpence  HalL 
explaining  to  them  the  various  events 
connected  with  the  historic  building, 
a  task  for    which    no    one    was    better 


Charles  S.  Keyser,  Esq. 


moxed  tf)  make  a  ]:)lace  for  the  two 
liiideT  l)oxes  that  have  been  placed 
there.  The}'  are  ()ccui)ie(l  now  as 
museums.  A  sh^rt  time  ])ef()rc  his 
death  lie  l)ecame  actively  interested 
in    a    plan    to   jiromote    interest    among 


fitted. 

Air.  Keyser  died  September  25. 
KKH.  lie  was  a  member  of  the  His- 
torical Societ}^  o  f  Pennsylvania. 
Xetherland  and  German  Societies  and 
ni  other  or^'anizations. 


Heads  of  Families  at  the  First  Census 


NOTE. — Reprint  of  text  which  will  ap- 
l)ear  in  pam))hlets  containing  names  of 
heads  of  families  at  the  First  Census,  in  the 
states  of  Coiiiiecticut,  Maine,  Maryland. 
Massaclmsotts,  Xe^  Haiitpsliire,  New  York, 
Nortli  Carolina,  Pennsylvania-  Rhode  Is- 
land, South  Carolina,  Vermont  and  Vir- 
U'inia.  Each  state  will  form  a  separate  part, 
or  volume,  consisting  of  from  100  to  300 
pages.  Copies  may  be  obtained  of  the  Direc- 
tor of  the  Census.  Price  $1.00  Washington, 
D.  C. 

INTRODUCTION 


IE  First  Census  of  the 
United  States  (1790) 
comprised  an  enumera- 
tion of  the  inhabitants 
(^f  the  present  states  of 
■  Connecticut,  Delaware, 
Georgia.  Kentucky,  Maine. 
Maryland,  Massachusetts 
Xew  1  lami:)shire,  Xew  Jersey,  New 
York.  Xorth  Carolina.  Pennsylvania, 
Rhode  Island,  South  Carolina,  Tenn- 
essee,  Vermont  and  Virginia. 

A  complete  set  of  the  schedule  for 
each  state,  with  a  summary  for  the 
counties,  and  in  many  cases  for 
towns,  was  filed  in  the  State  De- 
])artment,  but  unfortunately  they  are 
not  now  complete,  the  returns  for  the 
states  of  Delaware,  Georgia,  Ken- 
tucky, Xew  Jersey.  Tennessee,  and 
Virginia  having  been  destroyed  when 
the  British  burned  the  Cooital  at 
W'ashingtiMi  during  the  war  of  1812. 
l^'iir  se\eral  (tf  the  states  for  which 
scliedules  arc  lacking  it  is  prol:)able 
that  the  Director  of  the  Census  could 
obtain  lists  which  would  present  the 
names  of  most  of  the  heads  of  famil- 
ies at  the  date  of  the  First  Census. 
Tn  A^irginia,  state  enumerations  were 
made  in  1782.  1/8.^.  1784,  and  1785. 
but  the  lists  on  file  in  the  State  Li- 
l)rarv  include  the  names  of  only  ;^o 
i>f  the  78  counties  into  which  the 
state  was  divided. 

Hie  schedules  of  1790  form  a  unicpie 
itdieritance  fur  the  Xation.  since 
they   represent    for   each    of   the    states 


concerned  a  com;)lete  list  of  the  heads 
of  families  in  the  United  States  at  the 
time  of  the  ado])tion  of  the  Constitu- 
tion. The  framers  were  the  states- 
men and  leaders  of  thought,  but  those 
whose  names  appear  upon  the  sched- 
ules of  the  First  Census  were  in 
general  the  nlain  citizens  who  1)\ 
their  conduct  in  war  and  peace  made 
the  Constitution  possible  and  b}-  their 
intelligence  and  self-restraint  ])ut  it 
into    successful    operation. 

The  total  ]io])ulation  of  the  United 
States  in  1790,  exclusive  of  slaves,  as 
<leri\ed  from  the  schedules  was  3.- 
-3i-5v^3-  ''"'c  onl}'  names  appearing 
unon  the  schedules,  however,  were 
those  of  heads  of  families,  and  as  at- 
chat  i)eriod  the  families  averaged  6 
nersons,  the  total  number  ^'.'as  anprox- 
imately  540.000,  or  slightly  more 
than  half  a  million.  The  number  of 
names  which  is  now  lacking  because 
of  the  destruction  of  the  schedules  is 
ai)i)r(^ximately  140,000.  thus  leaving 
schedules  containing  about  400,000 
names. 

The  information  contained  in  the 
|Md:)lished  rei3i»rt  of  the  First  Census 
of  the  United  States,  a  small  ^•olume 
of  56  nages.  was  not  uniform  for  the 
several  states  and  territories.  For  X'^e-w 
England  and  one  or  two  of  the  other 
states  the  poi)ulation  was  iiresented  bv 
counties  and  towns;  that  of  X'ew  Jer- 
sey aiiDcared  i^artl}'  by  counties  and 
towns  and  j^artly  bv  comities  only; 
in  other  cases  the  returns  were  given 
by  C(mnties  only.  Thus  the  comolete 
transcript  of  the  names  of  heads  of 
families,  with  acconi])anying  informa- 
tion, presents  for  ihe  first  time  detail- 
ed inf(M-niation  as  to  the  nundicr  of 
inhabitants — males,  females,  etc. — for 
each  minor  civil  division  in  all  those 
states  for  \\liicii  such  information  Avas 
not   originally   i)td)lished. 

*Xorth  Carolina  and  Virgini'i  to  br 
issued. 


80 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


In  response  to  repeated  requests 
from  patriotic  societies  and  persons 
interested  in  g-enealogy,  or  desirous  of 
studying-  the  early  history  of  the 
United  States,  Congress  added  to  the 
sundry  ci\-il  appropriation  bill  for  the 
.^scal  year  1907  the  following  para- 
graph : 

The  director  of  the  Census  is  hereby 
Huthorized  to  publish,  in  a  permanent  form, 
oy  counties  and  minor  civil  divisions,  the 
names  of  the  heads  of  families  returned 
at  the  first  census  of  the  United  States  in 
■seventeen  hundred  and  ninety;  and  the 
Director  of  the  Census  is  authorized,  in 
lis  discretion,  to  sell  said  publications,  the 
proceeds  thereof  to  be  covered  into  the 
Treasury  of  the  United  States  to  be  deposit- 
ed to  the  credit  cf  miscellaneous  receipts 
on  account  of  "Proceeds  of  sales  of  Govern- 
aient  property:" 

Provided,  That  no  expense  shall  be  in- 
curred hereunder  additional  to  appropria- 
■ions  for  the  Census  Offic  ■  for  printing 
'herefor  made  for  the  fiscal  year  nineteen 
lundred  and  seven ;  and  the  Director  of  the 
Census  is  hereby  directed  to  report  to 
Congress  at  its  next  session  the  cost  in- 
curred hereunder  and  the  price  fixed  for 
said  publications  and  the  total  received 
;herefor. 

The  amount  of  mone}-  appropriated 
i)}'  Congress  for  the  Census  printing 
:or  the  fiscal  year  mentioned  was  un- 
fortunately not  sufficient  to  meet  the 
i-urrent  recjuirement  of  the  Office  to 
)u])lish  the  transcription  of  the  First 
"ensus.  and  no  pro\ision  was  made  in 
he  sundry  civil  api-jrojiriation  bill  for 
!()o8  f(^r  the  continuance  of  authoritv 
";o  pul)lish  these  inijiortant  records. 
Resources,  however,  were  available 
for  printing  a  small  section  of  the 
A'ork.  and  the  schedules  of  New 
Mamoshire,  \'ermont,  and  ^Maryland 
Hccordingly  a\  ere   published. 

The  urgent  deficiency  bill,  approved 
i'^ebruary  15,  1908,  contained  the  fol- 
iowing   pro\ision  : 

That  the  Director  of  the  Census  13  hereby 
authorized  and  directed  to  expend  so  much 
)f  the  a])iH'opriation  for  piinting  for  the 
Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor 
1  Hotted  by  law  to  the  Census  Office  for 
;he  fiscal  year  ending  .June  thirtieth,  nine- 
:een  hundred  and  eight,  as  may  be  neces- 
sary to  continue  and  complete  the  publica- 
tion of  the     names  of  the  heads  of  families 


returned  at  the  First  Census  of  the  United- 
States,  as  authorized  by  the  sundry  civil 
appropriation  act  approved  .Tune  thirtieth, 
nineteen  hundred  and  six. 

In  accordance  with  the  authority- 
given  in  the  paragraph  quoted  above, 
the  names  returned  at  the  First  Cen- 
sus in  the  states  of  Connecticut, 
Maine,  Massachusetts,  New  York, 
Xorth  Carolina,  Pennsylvania.  Rhode 
Island,  and  South  Carolina  have  been 
published,  thus  completing  the  roster 
of  the  heads  of  families  in  1790  so  far 
as  they  can  be  shown  from  the  records 
of  the  Census  Office.  As  the  Federal 
census  schedules  of  the  state  of  Vir- 
ginia for  1790  are  missing,  the  lists  of 
the  state  enumerations  made  In  1782, 
1783,  1784,  and  1785  have  been  sub- 
stituted and,  while  not  comjilete,  they 
will,  undoubtedh^  i^rove  of  great 
xalue. 

THE   FIRST  CENSUS 

The  First  Census  Act  was  passed  at 
the  second  session  of  the  First  Con- 
gress, and  was  signed  by  Piesident 
\\'ashington  on  Alarch  i,  i7()0.  The 
task  of  making  the  first  enumeration 
of  inhabitants  was  ])laced  uix)n  the 
President.  Under  this  law  the  mar- 
shals of  the  several  judicial  districts 
were  required  to  ascertain  the  number 
of  inhabitants  Avithin  their  respective 
districts,  omitting  Indians  not  taxed, 
and  distinguishing  free  persons  (in- 
cluding those  bound  to  service  for  a 
term  of  years)  from  all  others;  the  sex 
and  color  of  free  persons;  and  the 
free   males    16  years   of  age   and   over. 

The  object  of  the  inquiry  last  men- 
tioned was.  undou1)tedly,  to  obtain  de- 
finite knowledge  as  to  the  military 
and  industrial  strength  of  the  coun- 
try. This  fact  possesses  >pecial  inter- 
est, because  the  Constitution  directs 
merely  an  enumeration  of  inhabitants. 
Thus  the  demand  for  increasingly  ex- 
tensixe  int(M"mation.  which  has  been 
so  marked  a  characteristic  of  census 
legislation,  began  with  the  First  Con- 
gress  that   dealt   with   the  subject. 

The  method  followed  by  the  Presi- 
dent   in    ])utting     into     operation      the 


HEADS  OF    FAMILIES  AT  THE  FIRST  CENSUS 


81 


I'irst  Census  law,  although  the  object 
of  extended  investigation,  is  not  def- 
initely known.  It  is  sui)poscd  that 
the  ] 'resident  or  the  Secretary  of  State 
dis])atched  copies  of  the  'aw,  and  per- 
liaps  of  instructions  also,  to  the  mar- 
shals. There  is,  however,  some  ground 
for  disputing  this  conculsion.  At  least 
'>ne  of  the  reports  in  the  census  vol- 
ume of  I7c)0  was  furnished  by  a  gov- 
i-rnor.  This,  together  with  the  fact 
that  there  is  no  record  of  correspon- 
<lence  with  the  marshals  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  census,  but  that  there  is  a 
record  of  such  correspondence  with 
ihe  governors,  makes  very  strong  the 
inference  that  the  marshals  received 
their  instructions  through  the  gover- 
nors of  the  states.  This  inference  is 
strengthened  by  the  fact  that  in  1790 
the  state  of  Massachusetts  furnished 
the  printed  blanks,  and  also  by  the 
fact  that  the  law  relating  to  the  Sec- 
ond Census  si^ecifically  charged  the 
Secretary  of  State  to  superintend  the 
enumeration  and  to  commimicate  dir- 
ectly with  the  marshals. 

I'y  the  terms  of  the  f'irst  Census 
law  nine  months  were  allowed  in 
which  to  comnlete  the  enumeration. 
The  census  taking  was  supervised  by 
the  marshals  ni  the  several  judicial 
districts,  who  employed  assistant  mar- 
shals to  act  as  enumerators.  There 
were  17  marshals.  The  records  show- 
ing the  number  of  assistant  marshals 
enrdoyed  in  1790,  1800,  and  1810  were 
destroyed  by  fire,  but  the  nimiber  em- 
'>ln\-ed  in  \jqo  has  been  estimated  at 
''.SO. 

The  schedules  which  these  ot^cials 
prepared  consist  of  lists  of  names  of 
heads  of  families  ;  each  name  apuears 
in  a  stub,  or  first  column,  which  is  fol- 
lowed by  fi\e  columns,  giving  details 
i«f  the  familw  These  columns  are 
lieaded  as  iollows  : 

['"•ree  white  males  of  16  years  and  up- 
ward,  including  heads  01   families. 

Free  white  males  under  16  years. 

Free  white  females,  including  heads  of 
families. 

AH  othei'  free  i)eisons. 

Slaves. 


The  assistant  marshals  made  two 
copies  of  the  returns  ;  in  accordance 
with  the  law  one  copy  was  posted  in 
the  immediate  neighborhood  for  the 
information  of  the  i^ublic.  and  the 
other  was  transmitted  to  the  marshal 
in  charge,  to  be  forwarded  to  the 
President.  The  schedules  were  turn- 
ed over  by  the  1 'resident  to  the  Sec 
retary  of  State.  Little  or  no  tabula- 
tion was  required,  and  the  report  of 
the  First  Census,  as  also  the  reports 
of  the  Second.  Third,  and  Fourth,  was 
produced  without  the  employment  of 
any  clerical  force,  the  summaries 
being  transmitted  directly  to  the 
printer.  The  total  ])()])ulation  as  re- 
turned in  1790  was  3,929.214  and  the 
entire  cost   of  the  census  was  $44,377. 

A  summary  of  the  results  of  the 
I'^irst  Census  not  including  the  returns 
for  South  Carolina,  was  transmitted 
to  Congress  by  President  Washing- 
ton on  October  27,  1791.  The  legal 
lieriod  for  enumeration,  nine  months, 
had  been  extended,  the  longest  time 
consumed  being  eighteen  months  in 
South  Carolina.  The  report  of  Octo- 
ber 2/  was  printed  in  full,  and  pub- 
lished in  what  is  now  a  very  rare  lit- 
tle volume;  afterwards  the  re])ort  for 
.South  Carolina  was  "tipped  in."  To 
contain  the  results  of  the  Twelfth 
Census,  ten  large  quarto  volumes, 
comprising  in  all  10,400  pages,  were 
required.  No  illustration  of  the  ex- 
pansion of  census  inquiry  can  l^e  more 
striking. 

The  original  schedules  of  the  hirst 
Census  are  now  contained  in  26  bound 
volumes,  preserved  in  the  Census  Of- 
fice. For  the  most  part  the  headings 
of  the  schedules  were  written  in  by 
hand.  Indeed,  up  to  and  including 
1820.  the  assistant  marshals  generally 
used  for  the  schedules  such  paper  as 
the\-  ha])pened  to  have,  ruling  it.  writ- 
ing in  the  headings,  and  binding  the 
sheets  together  themselves.  In  some 
cases  merchants'  account  ]:)aper  was 
used,  and  now  and  then  the  schedules 
were  bound   in   wall   paper. 


82 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


As  a  consequence  of  requiring  mar- 
shals to  supply  their  own  blanks,  the 
volumes  containing"  the  schedules  vary 
in  size  from  about  7  inches  long,  3 
inches  wide,  and  1-2  inch  thick  to  21 
inches  long,  14  inches  wide,  and  6 
inches  thick.  Some  of  the  sheets  in 
these  volumes  are  only  4  inches  long, 
hut  a  few  are  3  feet  in  length,  neces- 
sitating several  folds.  In  some  cases 
leaves  burned  at  the  edges  have  been 
covered  with  transparent  silk  to  pre- 
serve them. 

THE   UNITED   STATES   IN   1790 

In  March,  1790,  the  Union  consisted 
of  twelve  states — Rhode  Island,  the 
last  of  the  original  thirteen  to  enter 
the  Union,  being  admitted  May  29  of 
the  same  year.  Vermont,  the  first  ad- 
dition, was  admitted  in  the  following 
year,  before  the  results  of  the  First 
Census  were  announced.  Maine  was 
a  part  of  Massachusetts.  Kentucky 
was  a  part  of  Virginia,  and  the  pres- 
ent states  of  Alabama  and  Mississippi 
were  parts  of  Georgia.  The  present 
states  of  Ohio.  Indiana,  Illinois,  Mich- 
igan, and  Wisconsin,  with  part  of 
Minnesota,  were  known  as  the  North- 
west Territory,  and  the  present  state 
of  Tennessee,  then  a  part  of  North 
Carolina,  was  soon  to  be  organized  as 
the  Southwest  Territory. 

The  United  States  was  bounded  on 
the  west  by  the  Mississippi  river,  be- 
yond which  stretched  that  vast  and 
unexplored  wilderness  belonging  to 
the  Spanish  King,  which  was  after- 
wards ceded  to  the  United  States  by 
France,  as  the  Louisana  Purchase 
and  now  comprises  the  great  and  pop- 
ulous states  of  South  Dakota,  Iowa. 
Nebraska.  Missouri.  Kansas,  Arkan- 
sas, and  Oklahoma,  and  portions  of 
Minnesota.  North  Dakota.  Montana, 
VVyoming,  Colorado.  New  Mexico. 
Texas,  and  Louisiana.  The  Louisiana 
Purchase  was  not  consummated 
for  more  than  a  decade  after  the  First 
Census  was  taken.  On  the  south  was 
another  S])anish  colony  known  as  the 
Floridas.  The  greater  part  of  Texas, 
then  a  ])art  i>f  the     colony  of     Mexico, 


belonged  to  Spain ;  and  California,  Ne- 
vada, Utah.  Arizona,  and  a  portion  of 
New  Mexico  also  the  property  of 
Spain,  although  penetrated  here  and 
there  by  venturesome  explorers  and 
missionaries,  were  for  the  most  part, 
an  undiscovered  wilderness 

The  gross  area  of  the  United  States 
was  827,844  square  miles,  but  the  set- 
tled area  was  only  239,935  square 
miles,  or  about  29  per  cent,  of  the 
total.  Though  the  area  covered  by  the 
enumeration  in  1790  seems  very  small 
Avhen  compared  with  the  present  area 
of  the  United  States,  the  difficulties 
which  confronted  the  census  taker 
were  vastly  greater  than  in  1900.  In 
many  localities  there  were  no  roads, 
and  where  these  did  exist  they  were 
poor  and  frequently  impassable ; 
bridges  were  almost  unknown.  Trans- 
portation was  entirely  by  horseback, 
stage,  or  private  coach.  A  journey  as 
long  as  that  from  New  York  to  W^ash- 
ington  was  a  serious  undertakmg,  re- 
quiring eight  days  under  the  most 
favorable  conditions.  Western  New 
York  was  a  wilderness,  Elmira  and 
Binghamton  being  but  detached  ham- 
lets. The  territory  west  of  the  Alle- 
gheny mountains,  with  the  exception 
of  a  portion  of  Kentuck3^  was  unset- 
tled and  scarcely  penetrated.  Detroit 
and  Vincennes  were  too  small  and  iso- 
lated to  merit  consideration.  Phila- 
delphia was  the  capital  of  the  United 
States.  Washington  was  a  mere  Gov- 
ernment project,  not  even  named,  but 
known  as  the  Federal  City.  Indeed, 
by  the  S')ring  of  1793,  only  one  wall  of 
the  White  House  had  been  construct- 
ed, and  the  site  for  the  Capitol  had 
!)een  merely  surveyed.  Nevv  York  city 
in  1790  possessed  a  population  of  only 
33.131,  although  it  was  the  largest  city 
in  the  Ignited  States ;  Philadelphia  was 
second,  with  28.522;  and  Boston  third, 
with  18.320.  Mails  were  transported 
in  very  irregular  fashion,  and  corre- 
s])ondence  was  expensive  and  uncer- 
tain. 
There  were,  moreover,  other  difficul- 
ties which  were  of  serious  moment  in 


HEADS  OF  FAMILIES  AT  THE  FIRST  CENSUS 


88 


1790,  but  which  long  ago  ceased  to  be 
problems  in  census  taking.  The  inhab- 
itants, having  no  experience  with 
census  taking,  imagined  that  some 
scheme  for  increasing  taxation  was  in- 
volved and  were  inclined  to  be  cau- 
tious lest  they  should  reveal  too  much 
cd  their  own  affairs.  There  was  also 
opposition  to  enumeration  on  religious 
grounds,  a  count  of  inhabitants  being 
regarded  by  many  as  a  cause  for  di- 
vine   displeasure.     The   boundaries   of 


towns  and  other  minor  divisions,  and 
even  those  of  counties,  were  in  many 
cases  unknown  or  not  defined  at  all. 
The  hitherto  semi-independent  states 
had  been  under  the  control  of  the  Fed- 
eral Government  for  so  short  a  time 
that  the  different  sections  had  not  yet 
been  welded  into  an  harmonious  na- 
tionality in  which  the  Federal  author- 
ity should  be  unquestioned  and  in- 
struction promptly  and  fully  obeyed. 


Population  0/  the  United  States  as  returned  at  the  First  Census,  hy  states :   1 790 


Vermont 

New    Hampshire 

Maine  

Massachusetts  

Rhode    Island 

Connecticut 

New  York 

New   Jersey 

Pennsylvania 

Delaware 

Maryland 

Virginia 

Kentucky  

North  Carolina 

South  Carolina 

Georgia  

Total  number  of  inhabitants  of   the   United 
States  exclusive  of  S.  Western  and  N.  W.  territory 


S,  W.  territory. 
N.  W. 


6.271 


10,277 


15,365 


361        3,417 


1  The  census  of  1790,  published  in  1791,  report  16  slaves  in  Vermont.  Subsequently,  and  up  to  1860,  the  number  is 
given  as  17.  An  examination  of  the  original  manuscript  returns  shows  that  there  never  were  any  slaves  in  Vermont. 
The  original  error  occurred  in  preparing  the  results  for  publication,  when  16  persons,  returned  as  "Free  colored."  were 
classified  as  "Slave." 

2  Correcred  figures  are  So.42b,  or  less  than  figures  published  in  1790  due  to  an  error  of  addition  in  the  returns  foi 
each  of  the  towns  of  Fairfield,  Milton,  Shelburne  and  Williston,  in  the  county  of  Chittenden:  Brookfield,  Newbury. 
Randolph  and  Strafford,  in  the  county  of  Orange;  Castleton,  Clarendon,  Hubbardton,  Poultney ,  Rutland,  Shrewsbury 
and  Wallingford,  in  the  county  of  Rutland:  Dummerston  Guilford,  Hallifax  and  Westminster,  in  the  county  of  Win<l- 
ham  and  Woodstock,  in  the  county  of  Windsor. 

3  Corrected  figures  are 59,095,  or  2  more  than  published  in  179ii,  due  to  an  error  in  addition. 


84 


Philadelphia  Founders'  Anniversary 


In  its  mission  as  a  historical  maga- 
zine THE  PENNSYLVANIA  GER- 
MAN deems  a  recording  of  some  of 
the  notable  events  and  addresses  call- 
ed forth  by  P'hiladelphia  Founders' 
Week  appropriate  and  desirable.  A 
selection  of  material  has  therefore 
l:)een  made  which  is  presented  in  the 
following  pages.  In  the  abundance  of 
rich  material  at  our  disposal  choice 
was  often  difficult.  If  our  readers  not- 
ed any  important  statements,  presen- 
tation of  facts,  editorials,  that  they 
think  should  find  a  place  in  the  pages 
of  the  magazine  they  will  confer  a 
great  favor  by  calling  our  attention 
to  them.  We  believe  that  by  thus 
collecting  what  is  here  presented  we 
put  in  convenient  form  valuable  data 
that  will  often  be  referred  to  and  made 
use  of. 

C.  J.  Hexamer,  president  of  the 
National  German-/\merican  Alliance, 
read  the  following  telegram  from 
President  Roosevelt : 

"White  House,  Washington  D.  C, 
Oct.  6. — Through  you  I  present  my 
heartiest  good  wishes  for  the  success 
of  the  National  German-American 
Alliance  on  the  occasion  of  their  gath- 
ering to  celebrate  the  two  hundred 
and  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the 
first  German  emigration  to  this  coun- 
try. From  that  day  to  this  Americans 
of  German  birth  and  descent  have 
borne  high  and  honorable  part  in  the 
history  of  this  great  Nation. 

THEODORE    ROOSEVELT." 

(lOvernor  Stuart,  introdiiced  by  Dr. 
Hexamer,  was  given  a  most  cordial 
reception. 

"I  am  not  here  to  make  an  address," 
said  the  Governor,  "but  to  show  the 
great  debt  of  gratitude  I  feel  as  a 
Pennsylvanian  to  the  Germans  of  this 
.\'ation.  Pennsylvania  has  always  had 
the  sui:>port  of  her  German  citizens.  I 
particularly  want  to  call  attention  to 
the  Germans  of  this  State  as  agricul- 
turists.    The  interest  in      farming  was 


started  by  the  early  German  settlers, 
and  now  Pennsylvania  contains  the 
banner  agricultural  county  of  the 
United  States.  I  refer  to  Lancaster 
county:  it  is  German  from  one  end  to 
the  other,  and  a  more  devoted  set  of 
Germans  than  those  in  Lancaster 
county  cannot  be  found.  I  want  to  say 
that  I  keenly  appreciate  the  value  of 
the  Germans  in  my  native  State.  In 
the  building  up  of  the  educational  in- 
stitutions, in  the  medical  protession. 
and  in  fact  of  every  line,  the  Gci'mans 
of  Pennsylvania  have  done  their  share. 
I  am  glad  to  be  the  Governor  of  a 
State  which  has  so  many  thrift}', 
peace-loving,  industrious  Grcrman 
citizens." 

Rev.  George  \^on  Bosse  delivered 
an  address  in  German,  in  which  he 
emphasized  the  importai:t  part  that 
Germantown  has  played  in  the  histor}' 
of  this  country.  He  said  in  part : 

It  is  a  site,  hallowed  in  history, 
where  we  now  stand.  Here  the  first 
German  settlers  toiled  in  the  sweat  of 
their  brow  ;  here  rose  the  first  German 
town  in  America  :  here  the  first  Ger- 
man anthem  ascended  heavenward : 
here  the  first  ])rotest  against  abomin- 
able slavery  was  fulminated ;  here 
stood  the  first  German  printing  press  ; 
here  the  first  bible  \\as  printed  in 
.\merica,  and.  indeed,  in  the  German 
language ;  here  too  the  first  religious 
periodicals  and  the  first  newspaper 
were  edited,  and  each,  indeed,  in  the 
German  language.  Here  if  was  where 
(lerman  characters  first  promulgated 
to  the  mar^■eling  nations  of  earth  the 
birth  (-tf  this  great  Republic.  Here  it 
was  where  German  hearts  jubilantly 
throb1:»ed  when  the  glorious  Declara- 
tion (^f  Independence  was  jjromulgat- 
ed  ;  and.  as  in  man_y  other  localities, 
the  ground  here.  too.  hath  been  be- 
sprent with  tlie  precious  life-blood  of 
Germans  A\ho.  in  the  P>attle  of  Ger- 
mantown. f<night  f(^r  liberty's  sacred 
cause. 


PHILADELPHIA  FOUNDERS'  ANMIVERSARY 


A  SOLEMN  DAY 

"It  is  a  solemn  day  we  celebrate,  the 
German  Day.  A  quarter  of  a  century 
in  October,  1883,  on  the  200th  anniver- 
sary of  the  landing  of  P'rancis  Daniel 
Pastorius  and  the  thirteen  families 
from  Krefeld,  the  first  German  Day 
was  inauj^urated  pnncipally  '. hrough 
the  efforts  of  those  men  whose  mem- 
ory we  cherish.  Dr.  Gottlieb  Theo- 
dore Kellner  and  Professor  Oswald 
.Seidensticker.  The  idea  of  the  celebra- 
tion of  a  German  Day  ha^  its  oppon- 
ents, and  not  a  few,  but  owino;  to  the 
energ-y  of  the  National  German-Amer- 
ican Alliance,  under  the  leadership  of 
Dr.  C.  J.  Plexamer,  the  iiistitntion  of 
the  German  Day  bids  fair  to  become 
permanent.  And  today,  after  twenty- 
fl\-e  years  have  rolled  by  like  some 
wild  melody,  'tis  not  a  hand.ful  of  Ger- 
mans that  celebrate  this  day  in  some 
remote  corner;  nay.  by  tens  of  thou- 
sands they  have  flocked  together  to 
the  birthplace  of  the  German  Day : 
they  have  come  as  re^jresentatives 
from  all  the  estates  of  our  vast  coun- 
try ;  the  eyes  of  millions  are  this  day 
fixed  uDon  us;  the  absent  are  \\ith  us 
in  soirit  there  in  the  ancient  city  of 
Krefeld.  whence  came  the  first  Ger- 
man settlers,  and  in  distant  Sommer- 
hausen,  birthplace  of  Pastorius,  yea, 
even  throughout  the  German  Empire, 
at  whose  head  the  German  Emperor, 
who  hath  sent  a  representative  to  this 
celebration  of  ours,  in  his  caoacity  as 
promotor  of  amicable  relations  be- 
tween the  two  countries.  Xor  stand 
we  alone  in  this  celebration.  Verily, 
Americans  not  of  German  kith  and 
kin ;  Americans  not  biased  by  blind 
prejudices,  not  hampered  by  nativism. 
rather,  true  and  genuine  Xm-^ricans. 
worth V  sons  of  this  land  of  liberty,  and 
those  who  could  not  come,  they  are 
with  us  in  spirit,  and  foremost  among 
these  The  President  of  the  United 
States,  Theodore  Roosevelt,  w'ho  is  in- 
timately conversant  with  German 
thought  and  culture. 

"F>ut  what  is  the  pur])ort  of  the  Ger- 
man Day?  It  has  l^een  instituted  to 
bear    witness    concerning    'liat      which 


(iermans  have     wrought  in     behalf  oi' 
our  country. 

GERMAN  CULTURE  IN  AMERICA 
"We  hear  so  much  of  what  <he  Pil- 
grim i^'athers  and  their  descendants 
ha\'e  done  for  our  country,  but  that 
which  (iermans  have  done  is  i)assed 
over  oftentimes  in  sdence  or  belittled. 
Xames  of  German  men,  worthy  of 
fame,  have  been  buried  in  t)blivioii.  .\ 
Senator  from  one  of  the  New  England 
States  informs  us  that  among  14,000 
names,  10,376  English,  1439  Scotch 
and  only  659  German  name?  (mirabile 
dictu)  are  found  worthv  of  admittance 
in  a  biographical  dictionary!  In  the 
face  of  such  statistics  it  is  high  time 
that  we  German-Americans  awake 
and  snatch  from  oblivion  ihe  names  of 
our  ancestors  wdio  have  left  footprints 
in  the  sands  of  time.  The  National 
German-American  Alliance  has  I  am 
hao]j}'  to  say,  auspiciouly  inaugurated 
this  work.  Time  there  was  when  I 
fondlv  cherished  the  specious  delusion 
that  ?M  the  culture  we  have  is  the 
x'-  irk  of  the  descendants  of  th(^  Pil- 
grim Fathers,  but  inspired  by  the  la- 
bors of  Dr.  Hexamer,  an  \me-ican  of 
German  descent,  and  of  Professor 
Learned,  an  American  of  Eng-ish  de- 
scent. 1  have  taken  up  the  study  of 
German  culture  in  America,  and  a  new 
light  burst  u])on  my  vision.  I  blushed 
because  of  the  consciousness  of  m} 
ignorance.  I  was  filled  with  indigna- 
tion on  hearing  the  work  of  our  ances- 
tors s))oken  of  lightly,  yet  was  ni}- 
heart  filled  with  joy  on  noticing  how. 
now.  justice  is  gradually  being  done 
to  the  merits  of  German- Americans. 

"This  glorious  day  is  to  strengthen 
us  all  in  the  endeavors  we  hold  neces- 
sary for  the  welfare  of  our  country. 
We  would  give  to  our  Nation  the  best 
traits  of  German  character.  The 
.National  ( ierman-.Kmerican  Alliance 
strixes  tt)  poj)ularize  the  study  of  the 
(ierman  language,  the  language  of  a 
great  ])eople  and  of  so  many  great 
men.  the  language  of  all  the  learned  of 
modern  times,  the  language  of  our 
heart  and  soul. 


86 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


AIMS    STRIVEN    FOR 

"We  would  moreover,  preserve  the 
purity  of  our  g'overnment.  We  would 
educate  our  children  in  such  a  manner 
that  they  have  within  themselves  the 
necessary  moral  fortitude  to  disdain  a 
coercive  yoke.  We  would  introduce 
innocent  recreation  into  our  hurried 
and  worried  business  life.  And,  again, 
we  would  advocate  amicable  relations 
between  our  Nation  and  other  nations 
and  especially  with  Germany.  It  is 
my  fervent  wish  that  this  German  day 
may.  in  the  near  future  become  a  day 
of  fraternization  of  all  the  various 
nationalities  represented  in  this  glor- 
ious republic. 

As  Dr.  Hexamer  unveiled  the  cor- 
ner-stone, a  block  of  granite  8  feet  in 
height  and  bearing  appropriate  tablets 
of  bronze,  he  said  in  part: 

■"With  profound  love  we  this  day 
think  of  our  German  ancestors.  Ger- 
man perseverance  and  German  family 
life,  the  fountain  of  true,  self-sacrific- 
ing love,  which,  to  protect  those  that 
are  near  and  dear,  engenders  heroic 
deeds  of  patriotism  ;  all  these  things 
have  contributed  infinitely  towards 
exaltng  our  country  to  her  high  estate. 
For  liberty,  that  highest  ideal  of  the 
Germans  from  time  immemorial,  our 
fathers  fought  not  alone  with  protests 
against  slavery,  at  a  time  when  Anglo- 
Americans  in  New  England  executed 
witches,  but  also  on  the  battle-field. 
The  names  of  Steuben,  De  Kalb. 
Herchheimer  and  Muehlenberg  will 
Hve  for  all  time.  Nor  will  a  grateful 
people  ever  forget,  that  almost  200,000 
Germans  were  ready  to  shed  their 
blood  for  the  Union,  that  not  one  star 
might  be  torn  from  our  glorius  banner, 
and  that  we  might  be,  as  we  now  are,  a 
mi i ted  and  powerful  Nation. 

CULITVATED    ARTS    OF   PEACE 

"And  yet  our  ancestors  did  not  seek 
to  triumph  in  sanguinary  wars,  but 
rather  in  the  arts  of  peace.  Wherever 
Germans  settled,  the  wilderness  was 
transformed  into  garden  spots  and 
blossomed  as  the     rose.     Their     lands 


flowing  with  milk  and  honey.  lu  ever}' 
trade,  art  and  industry  they  excelled. 
German  teachers,  painters,  scilptors. 
poets,  musicians  and  men  of  science 
have  filled  the  world  with  admiration. 

"To  investigate  and  record  the  deeds 
of  our  ancestors,  to  educate  our  youth, 
that  a  sound  mind  may  dwell  in  a 
sound  body,  and  that  they  may  be 
proud  of  their  kin ;  to  assist  German 
immigrants  and  to  educate  them,  so 
that  they  may  become  useful  citizens 
of  our  Republic,  and  to  imbue  all  of 
Uncle  Sam's  children  with  the  fact, 
that:  'Full  many  a  ,gem  of  purest  ray 
serene'  is  found  in  German  lore,  and 
that  its  flowers  may  not  be  born  to 
blush  unseen  and  waste  their  sweet- 
ness on  the  desert  air — such  are  the 
principal  aims  of  the  great  National 
German-American    Alliance. 

"We  now  erect  this  coiner-stone,  a 
work  of  German  art,  not  as  part  of  a 
local,  but  of  a  national  monument  of 
the  Germans  of  America.  It  is  hence  a 
sacred  obligation  unto  all  in  whose 
veins  German  blood  courses,  to  strive 
to  complete  this  work  in  a  worthy 
manner. 

PASTORIUS'     BLESSING 

"In  the  annals  of  this  first  German 
settlement  we  find  recorded  the  bless- 
ing of  our  venerable  father  Pastorius 
(whose  name  being  interpreted,  mean? 
a  shepherd),  and  if  we  wiP  cleave  unto 
one  another,  as  we  now.  in  this  solemn 
hour,  do  vow,  to  pursue  our  high  cul- 
tural mission  indefatigably.  this  self- 
same blessing  shall  be  fulfilled. 

"All  hail  German  progeny! 
All  hail,  ye  German  brethren  ! 
All  hail  for  evermore ! 

"And  now.  Mr.  Mayor,  I  have  the 
honor  to  transmit  to  you  for  the  city 
of  Philadelphia  in  beahlf  of  the  Nation- 
al German-American  Alliance  this  cor- 
ner-stone, as  an  ornament  unto  the 
City  of  Pirotherly  Love,  as  an  emblem 
of  German  loyalty  to  the  land  of  our 
adoption  or  birth,  and  as  a  token  of 
everlasting  amity  between  the  new  and 
the  old  Fatherland." 


PHILADELPHIA    FOUNDERS'   ANNIVERSARY 


87 


A  GERMAN-AMERICAN  FESTIVAL 

In  any  aspect  of  "Founders'  Week" 
— as  an  historical  commemoration  of 
the  first  planting-  of  the  city  or  as  a 
celebration  of  two  centuries  and  a 
quarter  of  growth  and  achievement — 
the  prominent  part  taken  by  the  Ger- 
man-Americans must  be  regarded  as 
equally  apj)ropriate.  The  history  of 
Pliiladelphia,  as  the  capital  of  Penn's 
Commonwealth,  cannot  be  told  with- 
out including  that  of  the  "German 
Town"  established  at  nearly  the  same 
time  close  by,  which  became  itself  the 
metropolis  of  that  early  German  immi- 
gration whose  impress  is  strongly 
i'elt  in  the  whole  development  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  in  that  of  many  neigh- 
boring Colonies  and  States.  The  two 
towns  grew  up  side  by  side,  harmon- 
ious but  distinct,  and  even  after  the 
greater  had  absorbed  the  less,  and  the 
German  township  had  become  only  a 
"ward"  of  Phildelphia,  it  still  retained, 
as  it  retains  today,  its  own  distinctive 
individuality  as  one  of  the  soundest 
and  truest,  most  independent  and  pro- 
gressive of  American  communities. 

How  much  of  this  it  owes  to  its  Ger- 
man origin,  how^  much  to  the  conflict 
and  commingling  of  German  and  Eng- 
lish influences,  it  is  needless  now^  to 
discuss.  In  any  case,  it  was  inevitable 
that  in  the  festivities  of  the  anniver- 
sary week  Germantown  should  furnish 
its  own  particular  pageant",  its  special 
commemoration  of  its  own  .founder. 
For  the  name  of  Pastoriu?:;  is  worthily 
associated  with  that  of  Pewn,  whom  he 
reseml)led  in  his  gentle  culture,  his 
high  ideals,  his  love  of  intellectual  free- 
dom, and  it  was  largely  through  the 
.influence  of  Patorius  and  his  associ- 
ates that  Penn's  promise  of  religious 
tolerance  drew  hither  so  many  of  the 
•  listurbed  ])eople  of  another  race  and 
language,  whose  descendants  ave  now 
co-heirs  with  those  of  English  stock 
in  the  historic  glory  of  Pennsylvania. 

This  is  the  historic  fact  that  Ameri- 
cans of  German  descent  are  proud  to 
recall  at  this  time ;  but  it  is  only  in  a 
very  small  degree  that  the  vast  Ger- 
)nan-.\merican  population  of  thj  coun- 


try today  traces  its  origin  to  the  settle- 
ment of  Germantown  or  to  the  misrra- 
tion  of  two  centunes  ago  which  gave 
us  the  "Pennsylvania  Germans."  That 
immigration  ceased  with  the  condi- 
tions that  incited  it,  and  while  the 
Pennsylvania  Geiman  communities 
prospered  and  spread,  they  had  few 
accessions  from  Germany.  It  was  not. 
indeed,  until  well  on  in  the  nineteenth 
century  that  Germans  again  began  in 
large  numbers  to  seek  opportunities  in 
the  New  World,  and  then  they  passed 
by  the  older  German  settlements  and 
either  established  themselves  in  the 
cities  or  pressed  on  to  the  wnder  field 
that  was  opening  in  the  West. 

These  are  the  modern  Germans  to 
whom  we  owe  so  much  of  energy  and 
enterprise,  of  intellectual  energy,  of 
esthetic  culture,  of  social  and  political 
advancement.  These  and  their  sons 
and  grandsons  are  the  Gcman- Ameri- 
cans. They  also  retain  a  love  of  the 
land  of  their  origin,  of  i^s  language, 
customs  and  traditions,  but  all  this  is 
absorbed  w'ith  them  in  the  larger  life  of 
the  land  of  their  adoption,  to  which 
they  are  contributing  so  much  of  inesti- 
mable value.  It  was  the  fault  of  the 
"Pennsylvania  Germans,"  at  least  in 
the  rural  districts,  to  keep  too  much  to 
themselves  and  to  cling-  too  fondly  to 
their  forefathers'  way  of  life.  The  Ger- 
man-American of  today,  while  he  hon- 
ors the  memory  of  the  early  pioneers, 
is  separated  from  them  by  a  wide  inter- 
val that  has  left  him  free  to  adapt  him- 
self to  new  conditions  and  to  take  a 
leading  place  in  the  national  life. 

At  the  date  of  the  last  census  there 
were  more  than  two  and  a  half  millions 
of  German  birth  settled  in  the  United 
States,  and  more  than  tw^o  millions  of 
these  had  come  to  the  coimtry  since 
1850.  Yet  all,  whatever  their  origin, 
are  today  Americans  and  loyal,  each 
national  strain  contributing  something 
of  its  owm  to  the  common  strength 
and  to  the  comprehensi\e  activities 
of  the  great  metropolis  that  has  grow  n 
from  the  small  beginnings 

— Fhila.  Ledger. 


THE  HOME 


HOMEMADE   SOAP 

Frequent  requests  have  been  received 
fcr  receipes  for  home-made  soap,  an  article 
which  to  the  Pennsylvania-German  house- 
wife is  as  common  as  her  daily  routine  in 
the  kitchen.  Yet  to  the  rising  generation 
the  making  of  good  homemade  soap  is  be- 
coming a  lost  art.  Soap  is  an  indespensa- 
ble  article  in  the  home  and  has  become 
so  common  that  the  present  generation 
can  ■  scarcely  realize  that  it  is  only  com- 
paratively recently  that  soap  is  being  so 
largely   manufactured. 

Until  the  discovery  of  soap  as  we  know 
it,  the  best  cleansing  agent  was  fuller's 
earth,  the  absorbent  properties  of  which 
enabled  it  to  remove  greasy  and  oily  mat- 
ter from  most  fabrics.  It  is  still  used  ex- 
tensively for  cleansing  or  fulling  woolens 
and  ether  clothes. 

Another  means  of  cleansing  was  the 
soap  berry,  the  fruit  of  a  plant  which  lath- 
ered freely  on  rubbing  with  water.  An- 
other was  the  root  of  the  plant  known  as 
soapwort,  the  lathering  properites  of  which 
were  due  to  the  presence  of  a  substance 
called  saponin,  which  is  also  foun  1  in  the 
horse   chestnut. 

Our  great-grandmcthers  used  to  make 
their  own  soap  by  the  following  process: 
A  barrel  or  specially  constructed  hopper 
was  raised  off  the  ground  sufficiently  high 
to  allow  a  tub  to  be  placed  under  it,  and 
the  bottom  perforated  with  small  holes.  It 
was  then  filled  with  wood  ashes,  and  now 
and  then  a  bucket  of  water  was  thrown 
on  them,  which  found  its  way  into  the  tub 
beneath.  As  the  water  percolated  through 
rhe  ashes,  it  dissolved  the  potash  and  soda 
which  are  ilways  found  in  the  ashes  of 
|)lants,  and  thus  a  solution  was  obtained 
which  was  jnit  into  an  iron  boiler  with  a 
(juantity  of  grease  fat,  and  the  mixture 
boiled  for  an  hour  or  longer.  Salt  was 
then  added,  and  as  the  mixture  cooled  a 
solid  layer  of  curd  soap  solidified  on  the 
top  of  the  water. 

As  the  Editor  of  this  department  is  not 
an  experienced  soap  maker  this  article  may 
be  open  to  criticism,  additional  information 
or  suggestios  will  be  welcomed  to  these 
columns  for  the  benefit  and  edification  of 
interested  readers. 

Homemade  soap  is  the  result  of  a  trifling 
expenditure  of  time  and  labor  with  ma- 
terials that  would  otherwise  be  thrown 
away. 

Fat,  water  and  an  alkali  are  the  prime 
ingredients    essential    in    its    making.    Every 


part  cf  the  fat  not  used  in  the  cooking,  the 
drippings,  fat  skimmed  off  gravies,  soups, 
etc.,  can  be  utilized,  if  raw  fat  or  suet  is 
taken  it  should  be  tried  by  putting  in  a 
prn  and  heated  slowly  over  the  fire,  stir- 
ring occasionally  so  as  to  prevent  its  burn- 
ing, then  poured  into  a  receptable.  When 
old  the  fat  can  be  taken  cff  the  top,  the 
impurities  having  settled  on  the  bottom. 
the  cleaner  and  nicer  the  fat  the  finer  the 
finished  soap. 

In  warm  weather  fat  is  liable  to  become 
mouldy  and  rancid,  to  prevent  this  it  should 
frequently  be  heated  until  the  quantity 
accumulated  is  sufficient  to  proceed  with 
the   boiling. 

The  modern  process  is  practically  identi- 
cal with  that  of  grandmother's  day,  only 
instead  of  ashes  a  solution  of  caustic  soda,  , 
or  lye,  is  used.  Fats  and  oils  are  boiled 
along  with  this  lye,  and  the  mixture  is 
kept  constantly  agitated.  As  the  tempera- 
ture increases,  stronger  lye  is  used,  until 
the  operation  is  completed.  Salt  is  then 
added,  and  as  soap  is  insoluble  in  salt 
water  it  rises  to  the  top  of  the  soda  liquor. 

Some  housewives  preferred  to  re-boil  the 
curd  soap  to  further  clarify  it.  After  solidi- 
fication the  soap  was  cut  into  squares 
of  a  size  convenient  for  use  and  stored  on 
the  attic  to  season.  Green  soap  was  not 
considered  advantageous  to  use  within  a 
year  and  the  frugal  housewife  always  had 
an  abundant  supply  of  well  seasoned  soap 
at  hand. 

A  large  iron  kettle  is  very  desirable,  as 
the  soap  froths  up  at  one  stage  and  is  apt 
to   boil    over    in   too   small    a   vessel. 


A  GOOD  HARD   SOAP 

Five  pounds  of  grease,  three  gallons  of 
soft,  hot  water,  one  pound  of  concentrated 
potash.  Let  these  boil  together  for  five 
or  six  hours,  adding  water  as  it  boils  away 
to  keep  up  the  original  quantity.  When 
done  it  is  a  dark  yellowish-brown, clear 
like  jelly,  almost  transparent  If  the  tongue 
is  touched  to  it  the  taste  is  smooth  and 
not  unpleasant;  it  is  sharp  and  acrid  if 
not  sufficiently  boiled.  It  should  be  fre- 
quently stirred  while  boiling.  Pour  it  in- 
to the  zinc-lined  box,  and  leave  it  to  har- 
den. In  twenty-four  hours  it  will  be  a  solid 
mass  of  nearly  white  soap.  Turn  it  out  on 
a  table  and  cut  it  in  thin  bars  lengthwise. 
If  it  is  desired  it  can  then  be  divided  into 
squares.  If  this  cannot  be  had  a  knife, 
heated  in  boiling  water,  will  answer  the 
purpose. 


89 


Literary  and  Dialect  Gems 


En  Hier-Ilawt  Pardy 

By  Gottlieb  Boonastiel 

Em  Moondawg  en  wuch  is  de  Betz 
Grill  un  der  Billy  Schnellkeffer  iioach  em 
shtettle  far  license  greega  far  hira.  Der 
Hilly  is  so  en  awremer  barrick-knobber 
wee's  feel  hut,  un  are  hut  nix  lavendich? 
uff  em  hofe  oss  we  en  darrer.  long-oricher 
shtuvvericher  asel  os  nemond  kawfa  hut 
wella  we  der  shreef  ene  ous-farkawfed 
liut.  Well,  der  Billy  hut  shtyle  aw  do  wella 
un  hut  der  Betz  g'savvd  se  daida  noach 
em  shtetle  rida  wile  de  waega  so  weesht 
wara.  Now  de  Betz  is  en  oldt  Maidel,  un 
hut's  shunt  fartzich  yohr  hara  dunnera 
Ks  hut  nemond  ga-glawbed  os  se  mae 
hira  daid,  awver  der  Billy  hut  a  pawr 
nochta  um  se  room  g'schmunseled  un  by 
.sell  tzeit  wore  se  so  weedich  os  en  bendei 
won  are  bloot  reeched.  Se  hut  era  hore  ga- 
grulld  un  looniba  in  de  bocka  far  se  ous- 
filla,  era  g'sicht  ga-powdered  mit  male,  ur 
era  bocka  g'farrebed  mit  rhode-reeva  bree. 
Well,  der  Billy  hut  si  asel  rows  g.feered 
un  hut  amohl  ae  bae  ivver  ene  g'henked 
derno  hut  are  der  Betz  g'woonka  far  cooma 
un    aw    druff   groddla. 

Es  hut  der  Betz  im  awfong  net  recht  aw- 
g'shtonna,  awver  se  wore  willins  far  anich 
ebbes  do  far  en  mon  grega  while  se  ga- 
(lenked  os  des  wara  era  ledshte  chance. 
De  Betz  is  endlich  druff  cooma,  awver  der 
asel  hut's  cllem  noach  gor  net  ga-gliclia. 
.A.re  hut  anyhow  refused  ae  shrit  tsu 
uiaucha  so  long  os  se  olla  tswae  uff  erne 
hucke.  Endlich  sawgt  der  Billy,  "Betz. 
(Irae  eme  amohl  der  schwontz!  "Now,  der 
asel  is  en  schtuvvericher  bugger  un  are 
hut  aw-fonga  shrowva  os  won  are  warrem 
het.  awver  onshtots  fun  I'arschiech  gae  is 
aie  hinnerschich  ga-backed  bis  uff  ae  mohl 
sin  si  fees  hinna  nows  g'flooga  as  we  en 
wedderlaich. 


De  Betz  is  about  fooftzae  foos  in  de  hae 
g'flooga  un  is  im  dreck  ga-land  uff  eram 
bussel  oona  wae  ga-doo,  awver  gor  woon- 
erbar  farshrucka.  Se  is  en  shpunkich 
weipsmensch  un  in  wenicher  tzeit  os  es 
mich  nembt  far  dere's  fartzaela  wore  se 
widder  uff  em  asel.  "Now."  secht  der 
Billy,  "habe  fesht  un  ich  drae  eme  es  ore." 
Are  hut  nuch  haerly  fesht  g'hot  biswoopshi 
wore  der  asel  fonna  in  der  hae.  Der  Billy 
hut  ene  um  der  hols  room  greeked  un  fesht 
g'hova.  De  Betz  is  eme  hinna  ivver  der 
rick  nunner  g'fora  os  de  foonga  g'flooga 
sin  un  hut  en  luch  in  der  dreck  g'shloga 
OS  mer  en  yarlich  kolb  drin  fargrawva  het 
kenna.  "Now,"  secht  der  Billy,  "won  du 
nuch  groodla  consht  don  broveer's  nuch  ae 
mohl.  Mere  wella  niah  tackticks  usa.  Ich 
drae  eme's  ore  un  du  draesht  eme  der 
schwontz.  Sell  holdt  de  tswae  enner  aeva." 
Der  asel  hut  g'shpeered  as  ebbes  gae  muss 
un  are  hut  en  shproong  ga-maucht  os  se 
olla    tswae    ivver    ene    nunner    g'flooga    sin. 

Der  Billy  is  uff  de  Betz  s'^olla  un  hut 
sich  net  wae  gadoo,  awver  de  Betz  hut  era 
tzocng  tswisha  era  folshe  tzae  greeked  un 
hut  about  en  tzollun-a-holb  derfun  ob  ga- 
bissa. 

Der  Billy  hut  grawd  gae  wella  un  hira. 
awver  de  Betz  hut's  net  ga-doo,  un  dart 
wore  era  glick.  We  de  leddicha  menner 
om  Barrick  ous  g'funna  hen  os  se  en 
shtick  fun  era  tzoong  ob  ga-bissa  hut  hen 
se  oil  hira  wella  wile  yader  garn  en  fraw 
het  mit  wenicher  os  de  ordinary  amount 
fun  tzoong. 

De  g'hireda  menner  om  Barricli  woo 
wiver  hen  os  tsu  feel  schwetza  wella  en 
law  ga-passed  hovva  os  all  de  weipsleitder 
asel  rida  missa,  un  now  won  en  weips- 
luensch  tsu  feel  retches  doot  don  gaits 
schprich-wordt  om  Barrick  nows'  "Selly 
set    em    Billy   Schnellkeffer   si   asel    ridal" 


90 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT 


The  Pennsylvania-German 

An  illustrated  monthly  magazine  devoted  to 
the  Biography,  History,  Genealogy,  Folklore, 
Literature  and  General  Interests  of  German 
and  Swiss  settlers  in  Pennsylvania  and  other 
States  and  of  their  descendants. 

Editorial  Staff 

H.  W.  Kriebel,  Publisher  and  Editor,  East 
Greenville,  Pa. 


Rev.    J.  A.    Scheffer,    Associate  Editor, 
245  North  Sixth  street,  AUentown,  Pa. 

Mrs.  H.  H.  Funk,  Editor  of  "The  Home," 
Springtown,  Pa. 

Prop.  E.  S.  Gerhard,  Editor  of  "Reviews 
and  Notes,"  Trenton,  N.  J. 

Price,   $1.50  a  year,  in  advance;  15  cents 
per  single  copy. 

Additional    particulars    are    found    on 
page  2  of  the  cover. 


The  aim  of  THE  PENN  SYLVAN  I A-GER- 
.VIAN  is  stated  above.  A  brief  history  of 
this  magazine  is  given  in  January  number 
1906,  by  the  lamented  Henry  A.  Schuler, 
who  was  then  the  editor.  Since  his  un- 
expected death  early  last  year  the  publish- 
er, Mr.  H.  W.  Kriebel,  has  had  the  addi- 
tional burden  of  editor.  Those  having  an 
experimental  knowledge  of  editing  and 
publishing  a  ])eriodical  were  not  surprised 
when  they  read  his  hopeful  expression  of 
the  promised  assistance,  in  last  month's 
issue. 

The  associate  editor  trusts  that  his  work 
may  not  disappoint  the  hopes  of  the  pub- 
lisher, contributors,  subscribers  and  the 
readers  of  tliis  magazine.  He  also  hopes 
lie  will  have  the  health  necessary  to  devote 
the  time  required  to  edit  the  "copy,"  read 
and  correct  the  proof  sheets,  write  editor- 
ials and  comments  for  each  issue.  He 
desires  that  our  acquaintanceship  may  be 
congenial  and  mutually  profitable. 

We  have  been  asked  whether  THE 
PEXNSYLVAXIA-GERMAN  was  printed  in 
that  dialect.  The  reason  given  for  the 
question  was  that  many  Germans  and  their 
descendants  in  Pennsylvania  and  other 
states  could  not  read  or  understand  the 
dialect.  The  reply  was  that  it  is  printed 
in  English,  with  the  exception  of  several 
pages  in  each  number  of  poetry  and  prose 
to  give  practical  illustrations  of  the  force- 
fulness  of  the  Pennsylvania  German  dialect 
and  its  aptness  for  exact  expression  of 
every  day  affairs,  and  es])ecially  of  humor, 
riddles  and  wit,  equal  if  it  does  not  in 
these  respects  excel  the  Irish  and  Scotch 
brogues. 


Tt  is  not  likely  that  some  of  the  facts 
concerning  Washington,  on  his  early  cam- 
paigns to  Western  Pennsylvania  in  1754-.5 
;)re  generally  known,  or  that  General  Brad- 
dock  was  shot  from  his  horse  by  one  of 
his  own  soldiers  during  the  battle  with  the 
French  and  Indians,  a  few  miles  on  this 
side  of  where  Pittsburg  now  is. 


In  the  biographical  sketch  of  Colonel 
Hollenbach,  interesting  pioneer,  colonial 
and  revolutionary  history  is  given  by  his 
grandson.  It  will  be  continued  in  the  next 
number.  The  remaining  contributions  in 
this  number  are  all  worth  reading  by  those 
interested  in  the  respective  subjects. 


Rev.  Dr.  F.  C.  Croll,  the  founder  of  this 
magazine  nine  years  ago,  and  who  wrote 
a  book  on  "  Ancient  and  Historic  Land- 
marks in  the  Lebanon  Valley,"  published 
hi  1895  and  is  the  author  of  other  works, 
has  resigned  his  pastorate  in  Lebanon,  Pa. 
He  added  1000  members  to  the  church 
during  his  sixteen  years  pastorate.  Ad- 
ditional ground  was  also  purchased  during 
this  time,  the  church  building  enla'^ged,  re- 
modeled and  refurnished,  pipe  organ  pur- 
chased and  all  debts  paid.  Dr.  Croll  has 
accepted  a  call  to  the  First  Lutheran 
Church  in  Beardstown,  111.,  and  removed  to 
that  city  February  1. 


A  circular  letter  has  been  sent  by  Mr. 
H.  W.  Kriebel  to  all  the  subscribers  giving 
and  requesting  information  on  a  number  of 
matters  regarding  the  advancement  and 
bettering  of  this  magazine.  May  we  not 
expect  as  many  of  the  readers  as  possible 
and  as  soon  as  possible  to  write  him  their 
views  and  opinions  as  to  making  THE 
PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  monthly  still 
more  interesting  and  useful  in  securing  and 
iniblishing  an  accurate  history  of  their 
ancestors  of  Germanic  descent  of  either 
father  or  mother:  of  grand  antl  great 
grandiiarents,  etc.,  a  true  account  of  how 
and  where  their  children  lived  and  what 
they  did,  said  and  wrote.  The  publisher 
also  makes  a  favorable  offer  to  renew  your 
subscription  at  once  and  ask  your  neigh- 
bors and  relatives  to  subscribe  for  this 
magazine. 


91 


Clippings  from  Current  News 


— The  Moravians  were  the  first  mission- 
aries among  the  Indians  in  Pennsylvania 
and  Ohio.  Among  them  were  Revs.  David 
Zeisberger  and  John  Heckewelder.  These 
two  labored  at  Lichtenau,  Ohio.  This  place 
was  founded  by  Zeisberger  and  Heckewel- 
der on  April  12,  1776.  and  is  located  on  the 
eastern  bank  of  the  river  Muskingum,  neai- 
Coshockton.  The  settlement  was  made  by 
the  missionaries  named  and  eight  families. 
Their  first  service  was  held  on  Sunday. 
April  13,  1776.  Nearly  the  whole  popula- 
tion of  Coshocton  attended  this  service. 
Mr.  Zeisberger  preached  on  Luke  24:46. 
47. 

In  this  mission  there  was  used  the  first 
spelling  book  ever  introduced  in  the  state 
of  Ohio.  It  was  compiled  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Zeisberger  and  published  in  Philadelphia 
in  1776.  This  was  seven  years  before  Noah 
Webster  issued  his  spelling  book  in  Hart- 
ford, Conn.  Thus  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio 
were  ahead  of  New  England  in  this  matter. 

The  first  baptism  at  the  mission  at  Lich- 
tenau took  place  in  April,  1776,  three 
months  after  the  first  settlement.  It  was 
that  of  a  grandson  of  the  Delaware  Indian 
Chief  Netawateves.  And  a  grandson  he 
was.  He  was  named  .John.  A  friend  sug- 
gested to  him  the  risk  he  assumed  in  being 
a    Christian,    but    .John    promptly    replied: 

"If  my  life  is  in  danger.  I  will  the  more 
cheorfully  witness  for  the  truth.  Do  you 
think  that  a  ba])tized  Indian  fears  your 
sorceries  as  he  did  when  he  was  a  heathen, 
and  that  he  will  hesitate  to  make  known 
what  the  Savior  has  done  for  him  and  for 
all  men?  No!  While  I  live  I  will  not 
hold  my  peace,  but  proclaim  salvation. 
This  is  the  command  of  God." 

Among  those  who  cut  the  timber  for  the 
erection  of  buildings  at  Lichtenau  was  the 
converted  Indian  Chief  and  brave  warrior, 
Isaac  Glickkeltau,  who  was  a  church  elder, 
and  as  eminent  for  his  piety  as  for  his 
l)rowess.  He  i)ei'ished  in  the  massacre  at 
Onadenhiitten,    Ohio,    in    1782. 

Lichtenau  is  a  German  word  which 
means   meadow   of  light. 

Rev.  Wm.  H.  Rice,  D.D.,  pastor  of  the 
Moravian  church,  at  Gnadenhiitten,  Tusc- 
arawas county.  Ohio,  is  a  direct  descen- 
dant of  the  above-named  Rev.  .lohn  Hecke- 
welder.— The    Reformed    Church    Record. 

—We  clip  the  following  from  the  Public 
Ledger : 

The 'University  of  Pennsylvania  is  a  part 
of  the  life,  the  bone  and  sinev^'  of  i^rogress 
of  this  community  and  of  the  whole  Com- 
monwealth. The  time  has  arrived  when 
the   ordinarily   intelligent   man   will    rea(lil.^■ 


admit  that  a  great  seat  of  learning,  witli 
its  collection  of  schools  of  the  sciences, 
arts  and  professions,  is  just  as  worthy  of 
support  and  encouragement  as  the  con- 
struction of  a  waterway  or  the  develop- 
ment of  an  industry.  Men  cannot  live  by 
bread  alone;  coal  mines  and  factories 
make  an  inadequate  foundation  for  th  ■ 
magnificent  superstructure  of  an  advanc- 
ed, alert  and  noble  civilization  which  must 
uphold  and  magnify  spiritual  and  intel- 
lectual influences.  And,  in  fact,  the  Uni- 
versity, with  its  thousands  of  student- 
professors  and  attendants  and  manifold 
activity  and  the  millions  of  dollars  which 
it  causes  to  be  expended  in  this  city  and 
State,    is    a    gigantic    industry. 

— Peter  Miller  Musser,  of  Muscatine,  la., 
a  philanthropist,  millionaire  and  successful 
business  man,  has  erected  a  handsome 
chapel  in  the  Cedar  Grove  Cemetery  at 
Adamstown,  as  a  memorial  to  his  i)arents. 
•Ichn  and  Cassiah  Musser,  who  are  buried 
there.  The  memorial  occupies  a  position 
commanding  a  view  of  the  pretty  borough 
of  Adamstown.  where  Mr.  Musser,  the 
donor,  was  born  and  lived  until  he  went 
west. 

<•     4"     4» 

Recent  Deaths 

Rev.  Matthias  Knoll,  Evangelical  minis- 
ter, departed  this  life  at  Des  Moines,  la.. 
November  11,  1908.  The  deceased  was 
born  at  Allentcwn,  Pa.,  June  1,  1847.  He 
had  been  brought  up  in  the  Catholic 
Church  and  became  a  Protestant  after 
coming  to  America. 

August  W.  Ullberg,  who  molded  the 
statue  of  William  Penn,  which  now  sur- 
mounts city  hall  tower,  Philadelphia,  died 
Dec.   3d. 

Mr.  Ullberg  was  one  of  the  great  mold- 
ers  of  statues  in  the  Rasmussen  copper 
foundry  in  Copenhagen  when  he  was  ask- 
ed to  come  here  to  cast  the  statue  whicli 
is  now  the  "first  landmark  of  Philadel- 
jihia." 

After  its  completion  Ullberg  decided  to 
make  Philadelphia  his  home.  His  work, 
which  included  great  statues  in  almost 
every  city  in  Europe,  was  practically  done 
and  he  settled  down  in  retirement,  sur- 
rounded  l)y  his  family. 

He  was  63  years  old.  and  was  born  in 
Sweden. 


Lancaster  County,  Pa., — Mrs.  Mary  Anri 
Souders,  who  celebrated  her  one  hun- 
dredth   birthday    anniversary    at    Conestoga 


92 


CLIPPINGS    FROM    CURRENT    NEWS 


Centre,  October  30,  died  Nov.  26th.  Up  to 
the  day  of  her  centenary  celebration  she 
enjoyed  remarkably  good  health,  but  im- 
mediately after  that  event  it  began  fail- 
ing. Deceased  had  fifty-eight  living  de- 
.scendants. 


Greenville,  Pa..  Dec.  15. — The  Rev.  Dr. 
.John  A.  Kunkleman,  one  of  the  Mid- 
j)rominent  Lutheran  ministers  in  the  Mid- 
dle States,  died  after  52  years  active  ser- 
vice in  the  ministry.  He  successively  held 
pastorates  in  Indianapolis,  Philadelphia, 
Chambersburg,  Pa.;  Greenville,  Pa.;  At- 
lantic City  and  Greater  New  York.  While 
pastor  of  St.  Mark's  Church.  Philadelphia, 
he  was  chairman  of  the  committee,  and 
drifted  the  plea  that  brought  about  the 
closing  of  the  Centennial  Exibition  on 
Sundays.  He  also  served  as  president  of 
Carthage  College,  Carthage,  111. 


Dr.  E.  G.  Rehfuss,  a  well-known  spec- 
ialist in  treatment  of  diseases  of  the  eye, 
died  at  his  home,  at  the  age  of  47  years. 

He  was  born  in  Philadelphia  and  was 
educated  at  the  public  schools,  in  which 
he  prepared  for  the  medical  school  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania.  He  graduat- 
ed from  there  in  1884  and  became  resident 
physician   at   the   German   Hospital. 


Major  Charles  F.  Kieffer,  U  S.  A.,  at  the 
Cheyenne,  Wyo.,  army  post  died  Dec.  31. 
His  home  was  in  Philadelphia. 

Major  Kieffer  was  a  son  of  Lorenzo  M. 
Kieffer.  who  was  a  captain  in  the  Union 
Army  during  the  Civil  War.  Dr.  George  C. 
Kieffer.  was  a  brother  of  the  deceased,  as 
are  Lieutenant  Victor  Kieffer,  T^.  S  A.,  and 
Phili])  Kieffer,  a  cadet  at  West  Point. 

*      *      4" 

RULE  OF  THREE 

Alon    ^VIio   Work   on    Skyscrapers   a   Littif 
Snperstitions 

These  airy  crews  are  a  generous  crowd, 
says  Everbody's.  They  earn  high  pay. 
When  working  full  time  they  make  $27  a 
week  and,  like  their  rough  brothers  out 
on  the  plains,  they  are  quick  to.  give  of 
their  earnings.  On  Saturday  afternoons, 
when  they  line  up  at  the  pay  window,  the 
Sisters  of  Charity  are  always  there,  and 
quarters  and  dimes  jingle  merrilj^  into 
Iheir  little  tin  boxes. 

Behind  this  generous  givinp,  is  a  super- 
stitious belief  that  amid  risks  like  these 
it   is   well    to   propitiate    Fate    all   you    can. 


For  Fate  is  a  relentless  old  machine  and 
when  once  its  wheels  begin  grinding,  no 
power  on  earth  can  stop  them.  The  "P'.:;le 
r>f  Three"  is  centuries  old.  You  may  hear 
of  it  out  on  the  ocean,  in  the  steel  mills, 
in  the  railroad  camps  and  down  in  tne 
mines.  And  you  find  it  up  here  on  the 
jobs  in  the  skies. 

"Believe  it?"  said  an  old  foremtm.  "You 
bet  they  believe  it." 

"Do  you?"  I  asked. 

"Well,"  he  said,  "all  I  can  say  is  this; 
It  may  be  a  spell  or  it  may  be  because  of 
the  way  the  whole  crew  is  expecting  it. 
But,  anyhow,  when  two  accidents  come 
close  together  you  can  be  sure  that  the 
third  ain't  very  far  off." 

4"     *     4» 

His  Job  Had  a  Lon^  TVamo 

Any  one  who  runs  out  of  a  job  in  the 
United  States  might  try  Germany.  A 
census  recently  taken  by  the  imperial 
statistical  bureau  in  Berlin  shows  that 
there  are  over  15,000  distinct  trades, 
professions  and  occupations  pursued 
throughout  the  empire. 

While  some  of  the  callings  have  several 
thousand  followers,  others  are  not  at  all 
overcrowded,  in  some  cases  only  one  per- 
son being  represented  in  a  classification. 
For  instance,  one  man  is  set  down  as 
forstschutzdienstanwaerter.  which  means 
"candidate  for  the  forest  protection  ser- 
vice." Other  men  earn  their  living  as 
kreiskommunalkassenkalkulator,  or  "dis- 
trict public  treasury  appraiser."  There  is 
a  wide  call  for  staatsschuldenzahlungskas- 
senkontroleure,  otherwise  "bookkeeper  for 
the  fund  for  the  payment  of  the  public 
debt,"  and  quite  a  number  of  streaks  can 
frequently  be  detected  which  men  follow 
this  work. 

The  little  group  of  men  who  work 
at  eisenbahnbetriebstelegr.aiiheninspektiion 
sasistenten  have  an  awful  load  on  their 
minds.  Translated,  they  are  only  the 
"assistant  inspectors  in  the  railway  tele- 
graph service,"  perhaps  not  so  bad  a  job 
after  all. 

An  odd  occupation  is  that  of  "court  hay- 
maker." Blumistinner,  or  girls  who  make 
artificial  flowers,  are  common  enough,  but 
the  specialists,  such  as  vergissmeinnich- 
masher,  or  forget-me-not  makers,"  are 
quite  scace.  there  being  only  three  engaged 
in  the  business.  There  seemfe  to  be 
plenty  of  good  openings  in  the  towel  supply 
Ijusiness,  as  only  one  man  is  engaged  in 
this  occupation,  which  is  quite  largely  fol- 
lowed   in    this    country. — Chicago    Tribune. 


93 


The  Forum 


MEANING  OF  NAMES 


By  Leonhard  Felix  Fald,  M.  A.,  LL.  M. 

EDITORIAL  NOTE— Mr.  Fuld,  has  kind- 
ly consented  lo  prepare  a  statement  of  the 
meaning  of  the  name  of  any  subscriber 
who  sends  twenty-five  cents  for  this  pur- 
pose to  the  Editor  of  the  PENNSYLVANIA- 
GERMAN. 

I.  ROTH 

'i'he  surname  ROTH  is  one  derived  from 
a  personal  characteristic  and  may  have 
either  a  complimentary  or  an  uncompli- 
mentary connotaticn.  It  seen.s  likc'.y  how- 
ever that  this  surname  was  more  frequent- 
ly given  as  a  compliment  than  as  a  nick- 
name. ROTH  means  "red"  and  the  name 
was  generally  applied  to  a  mr.n  as  i  compli- 
ment just  as  we  use  the  word  "ruddy"  to 
denote  an  individual  possessins^  good  color 
and  inferentially  excellenc  health.  When 
ai)plied  to  a  woman  it  meant  "a  blushing 
girl,"  which  was  also  generally  a  compli- 
mentary  designation. 

The  second  class  of  individuals  to  whom 
the  name  ROTH  was  given  consisted  of 
those  who  possessed  red  hair.  The  emperor 
Barbarossa,  who  was  called  in  Germany 
Kaiser  Rothbart  is  the  most  prominent 
man   belonging  to  this  class.  This  designa- 


tion was  neither  comi)limentay  nor  uncom- 
plimentary although  it  must  be  raid  that 
red  hair  was  always  looked  upon  with  con- 
siderable favor  among  the  G.M-mans.  There 
seems  to  have  been  an  unconscious  feeling 
that  those  who  received  red  hair  from  their 
Greater  received  more  than  those  whose 
hair  was  black  or  blonde  and  the  undoubted 
charm  of  red  hair  was  felt  by  the  old  Ger- 
mans as  well  as  it  is  felt  by  us. 

A  third  class  of  ROTH  were  those  to 
whcm  this  name  was  given  as  a  nickname. 
ROTHNASIG  indicates  the  particular 
weakness  which  induced  others  to  give  a 
man  this  nickname.  The  greater  frequency 
with  yhicli  we  meet  such  names  as  ROTH- 
K0FP,R0THV\'ANG[IGI]  and  ROTHBACK- 
[IG]  seem  to  show  however  that  more  nien 
v/ere  called  ROTH  as  a  compliment  to 
their  gpod  physical  condition  than  as  a 
nickname  because  cf  tlieir  weakness  for 
strcg-  drink. 

A  fourth  cass  of  ROTH  wore  so  called 
because  they  lived  in  a  red  house  but  there 
is  no  record  that  any  of  these  came  to 
America. 

4»      *      * 

Mrs.  S.  A.  Saeger,  1320  Hamilton  St.. 
Allentown,  Pa  ,  desires  to  secure  a  few 
copies  of  THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 
for  February  1908  If  you  are  willing  to  sell 
your  copy  notify  her. 


Historical  Societies 


The  Bucks  County  Historical  Society 
founded  Jan.  20,  1880,  incorporated  Feb- 
23,  1885  had  649  members  August  1  1908. 

The  object  of  the  society  is  defined  in 
the  preamble  of  the  Constitution  and  By- 
I/aws  as  amended  October  13,  1908  as 
follows: 

The  object  of  the  Bucks  County 
Historical  Society  shall  be  to  promote 
and  encourage  historical  research  and 
study.  particularly  the  discovery, 
collection,  preservation  and  publica- 
tion of  the  history,  historical  records 
and  data  pertaining  to  Bucks  county: 
the  collection  and  preservation  of 
books,  newspapers,  maps,  genealogies, 
portraits,  paintings,  engravings,  manu- 
scripts, letters,  journals,  relics,  and 
any  and  all  materials  which  may 
establish  or  illustrate  such  history; 
the  collection  of  data  relative  to  the 
growth  and  progress  of  population, 
wealth,  education,  agriculture,  arts, 
manufactures,    and     commerce    in     this 


country,  also,  the  compilation  of  the 
traditions  and  folklore  of  the  country, 
and  the  acquisition  by  donation  pur- 
chase cr  loan,  of  tools,  appliances  and 
objects  of  antiquarian  interest. 

It  has  a  library  of  2200  volumes  with  a 
number  of  maps  and  Mss.,  a  military  col- 
lection illustrative  of  the  Civil  and  Mexi- 
can Wars,  a  Herbarium  of  20,000  specimens, 
a  collection  of  birds'  eggs,  heirlooms  and 
ancient  objects,  photograi)hs  of  houses, 
sites  and  objects  of  historic  interest  and 
a  collection  cf  the  tools,  implements,  and 
utensils  of  the  Pennsylvania  pioneer  giv- 
ing the  society  a  unique  place  among  sim- 
ilar bodies.  These  are  stored  in  the  build- 
ing owned  by  the  society  a  picture  and  ac- 
count of  which  appeared  in  THE  PENN- 
SYLVANIA-GERMAN, August,  1907.  The 
first  historical  i)aper  i)repared  for  the 
society  was  read  by  its  author,  .Tosiah  B. 
Smith,  .July  20,  1880  at  a  meeting  held  by 
the  Society  in*  Doylestown.  Since  that 
))apers   have    been    i)rei)ared    and    read    su!'- 


94 


HISTORICAL   SOCIETIES 


ficient  to  make  4  stately  volumes  of  625 
pages  each.  Through  the  liberality  of  B. 
P.  Frackenthal,  Jr.,  of  Riegelsville,  Pa., 
President  of  the  Thomas  Iron  Company, 
these  are  to  be  printed  and  made  availiable 
to  historians  as  may  be  seen  by  the  follow- 
ing communication  laid  by  him  before  the 
Society  Oct.  13,  1908. 

Riegelsville,  Pa.,  October  13,  1908. 

I  am  informed  that  some  inquiry  has 
been  made  concerning  the  conditions 
under  which  the  papers  read  before 
the  Bucks  County  Historical  Society, 
are  to  be  published  and  distributed. 

As  I  did  not  state  the  conditions 
clearly  at  the  Doylestown  meeting,  I 
have  thought  best  to  place  the  matter 
in  writing,  with  the  request  that  this 
communication  be  placed  upon  the 
,        minutes  of  the  society. 

My  offer  is  to  publish  at  ray  own 
expense  such  papers,  presented  and 
read  before  the  society  over  the  past 
28  years,  of  which  copies  are  now  ob- 
tainable, and  upon  which  an  editorial 
committee  shall   have   passed. 

It  is  estimated  that  the  papers  now 
in  hand  will  make  4  volumes  of  625 
pages  each.  The  bound  volumes,  when 
completed,  will  be  presented  to  the 
society. 

My  suggestion  is  that  the  societj' 
sell  the  volumes  to  the  members,  and 
others  who  may  desire  to  purchase 
them,  at  about  the  cost  of  publication, 
estimated  not  to  exceed  $2.00  per  vol- 
ume; with  the  further  provision  that 
the  proceeds  from  the  sale  of  the 
books  shall  be  used  to  establish  a 
fund,  to  be  called  the  "Fanckenthal 
Publication  Fund,"  which  is  to  be  in- 
vested by  the  board  of  directors,  pref- 
erably in  first-mortgage  bonds,  and 
the  interest  or  income  arising  thereon 
to  be  used  for  the  publication  of 
papers  that  may  hereafter  be  present- 
ed  and   read   before  the  society. 

If  papers  are  presented  in  the  future 
at  the  same  rate  as  they  have  been  in 
the  past,  it  is  estimated  that  one  vol- 
lume  can  be  published  every  6  or  8 
years. 

The  first  volume  to  be  issued  under  this 
offer  an  octavo  of  38  chaps,  and  585  pages. 
( Price  $2.00,  pastoge  22c.,  applications  for 
l)ooks  to  be  made  to  Bucks  County  Histor- 
ical Society.  Doylestown,  Pa.)  It  is  a  val- 
uable and  attractive  book  replete  with 
historic  lore  respecting  Bucks  County.  It 
contains  papers  on  the  following  subjects: 

Early  Settlements  of  Newton  Town- 
ship, The  Solebury  Copper  Mine,  Early 
History  of  Bucks  County,  Bucks  County 
Bi-centennial,  About  Attleborough,  William 
Penn's   Home    Life    at    the    Manor    House, 


Mennonites  or  German  Friends,  Our  Stone 
Age.  The  Minerals  of  Bucks  County,  The 
German  Population  in  Bucks  County,  The 
Marquis  de  LaFayette,  The  Neshaminy 
Church,  Indian  Town  of  Playwickey,  The 
Doylestown  Presbyterian  Church,  Remin- 
iscenses  of  Wrightstown,  Early  History  of 
Wrightstown,  Some  Account  of  Warminster 
Meeting.  The  Newspapers  of  Bucks  County. 
The  Poets  and  Poetry  of  Bucks  County. 
The  Schcols  of  Buckingham.  Rerainisen- 
cses  of  Buckingham,  Bucks  County  in  the 
Revolution.  Indigenous  and  Naturalized 
Flowering  Plants,  Ferns  anJ  Fern  Allies 
of  Bucks  County,  The  Doanes  Before  the 
Revolution,  Sketch  of  the  Life  of  Gen. 
.lohn  Davis,  Southampton  Baptist  Church, 
The  Ferns  of  Durham  and  Vicinity,  The 
Paper  Mills  of  Bucks  County,  Edward 
Hicks,  The  Fells  and  Slocums  of  Wyo- 
ming, The  Durham  Iron  Works,  Three 
Dramatic  Scenes  in  the  Closing  Hours  of 
the  Revolutionary  Struggle,  Four  Lawyers 
of  Doylestown  Bar,  The  Doans  and  Their 
Times,  Thomas  Ross,  a  Minister  of  the 
Society,  The  Durham  Cave,  The  Object  of 
a  Local  Historical  Society,  Plumstead 
Township,  Durham  Cave —  Reminiscences. 
Education  in  Durham  Township,  George 
Taylor— The  Singer,  The  Worth  and  Char- 
acter of  Pennsylvania  Germans,  General 
Ulysses  S.  Grant:  Colonial  Estates.  The 
Early  Clock  Makers,  Penn  and  His  Plans 
in  Pennsylvania,  The  American  Policy. 
Edward  Hicks,  Local  News,  Our  Farm. 
Early  Welsh  Settlers,  What  Geoffrey 
Chaucer  Saw,  The  Schwenkfelders,  For- 
estry in  Pennsylvania,  Aboriginal  Remains 
in  Durham  and  Vicinity,  American  Archae- 
ology, The  New  Britain  Baptist  Church. 
Hon.  Samuel  D.  Ingham.  The  Mode  of  Life 
in  Our  Early  Settlement,  The  Foundations 
on  Which  Our  Fathers  Built,  The  Pension 
System.  The  Red  Lion  Inn,  Bensalem 
Township,  Early  Catholics  of  Bucks  Coun. 
ty.  Then  and  Now.  or  Old  Times  and  New 
in  Pennsylvania,  The  Bucks  County  Medical 
Society,  The  Town  We  Live  in,  Bits  of  His- 
tory, Scraps  of  Bucks  Before  1750,  Early 
History  of  Bristol,  The  Progress  of  the 
United  States,  Loganian  Lands  in  Bucks 
County.  Popular  Errors  Respecting  North 
American  Indians. 

Mr.  Fackenthal  deserves  special  mention 
and  recognition  for  the  valuable  services 
he  is  rendering  the  cause  of  history  in 
Pennsylvania  and  will  undoubtedly  inspire 
many  other  members  of  historical  societies 
to  similar  acts  in  their  respective  com- 
munities. 

Translation  of  a  German  paper,  which 
Frank  E.  Schnerer,  Esq.  of  Brickerville  Pa. 
recently  donated  to  the  Lancaster  County 
Historical  Society,  for  its  museum  where 
it  can  now  be  seen. 


HISTORICAL   SOCIETIES 


95 


The  paper  is  well  preserved  consider- 
ing its  age. 

The     following  is  the     translation,     viz: 

We  Charles,  by  the  grace  of  God,  Mark- 
grave  of  Baden  and  Hackberg,  Landgrave 
at  Sausenberg,  Count  of  Spanheim  and 
Aberstein.  Lord  at  Roeteln,  Badenweyler, 
Lahr  and  Mahlberg,  etc. 

Acknowledge  herewith  and  make  known 
that  we  after  most  humble  supplication 
have  graciously  released  in  consideration 
of  an  equitable  amount  of  money  George 
.Jacob  Schnuerer,  together  with  his  wife 
of  Eckstein,  born  in  the  (high)  bailiwick 
of  Carlsruhe,  who  desires  to  locate  in  the 
Island  of  Pennsylvania  and  there  to 
establish  himself,  dismiss  them  of  their 
servitude,  in  which  relationship  they  have 
hitherto  been  bound  to  us,  in  such  a  man- 
ner that  neither  we,  nor  our  princely  heirs 
shall  have  any  further  claim  on  either  of 
them  or  their  heirs,  on  account  of  their 
|)revious  servitude,  nor  shall  we  b-;  able  to 
regain  it.  unless  they  should  locate  and 
settle  in  one  or  the  other  place  of  our  duke- 
dom and  dominion  where  we  have  serfs- 
in  which  case  they  shall  again  enter  into 
The  relationship  over  against  us- 

In  testimony  of  the  above  we  have  caused 
Vo  be  executed  to  George  Jacob  Schnuerer 
over  our  signatures  and  seals  and  to  be 
delivered   the  above   document." 


Executed  in  our  princely  resident  city  of 
Carlsruhe,  September  16,  1737 

By  special  Mandate  of  his  serene  high- 
ness.V.  Breslin 

1  Frei  Herr  Von  Ma— ill, 

2  C.   D.  Stademan, 
o  R.  A.  Henning. 

^       i^t       •x» 

Historical  Society   Brings  Amicable  Action 
for  (ileriuaiitowii   Kocord 

The  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania 
began  the  necessary  legal  formalities  to 
obtain  possession  of  an  ancient  volume 
now  in  possession  of  the  Recorder  of  Deed 
office,  known  as  the  "Grund  und  Lager 
Buch."  It  is  a  record  of  early  Ian '' grant.-; 
in  Germantown  and  i.s  about  200  years  old. 
The  Recorder's  office  intimated  some  time 
ago  that  the  book  should  be  given  to  the 
Historical  society  since  it  has  long  since 
ceased  to  be  of  any  actual  value  at  City 
Hall,   Philadelphia 

It  was  found  necessasry  to  go  through 
certain  formalities.  William  Drayton,  as 
counsel  for  the  society,  issued  a  summons 
in  Coumion  Pleas  Court  for  the  custody 
of  the  volume.  Members  of  the  society 
consider  it  a  most  valuable  acquisition. 


Reviews  and  Notes 


Daniel    Booiie:    Kacliwoodsiuaii.    By    C.     H. 

Forbes-Lindsay.  Cloth:  12mo.  Illus- 
trated; ;>20  pp.  J.  B.  Lippincott  Com- 
pany.   Philadelphia    and    London.    1908. 

It  may  be  a  fact  but  little  known,  even 
to  people  of  Pennsylvania  that  Daniel 
Boone,  the  foremost  frontiersman  of  his 
time,  was  born  in  Oley  Township,  Berks 
County,  Pa.,  close  by  the  present  city  of 
Reading.  His  father  was  an  Englishman 
who  finally  settled  in  the  vicinity  mention- 
ed above,  and  here  Daniel  was  born  in 
Xoveniber,  17;]4.  In  1750  the  family  mov- 
ed to  South  Carolina.  Here  Boone  grew 
up  and  finally  with  his  own  family  he 
migrated  to  Kentucky  in  1773. 

It  is  dill'icult  to  believe  that  any  pioneer 
left  his  impress  ui)on  the  new  territory  of 
the  country  more  forcibly  than  Boone:  or 
that  he  was  so  widely  known  that  his 
name  found  its  way  into  Lord  Byron's 
|)oetry;  or  that  he  lived  a  more  fearless, 
upright  life.  Two  of  Boone's  children  were 
among  the  first  settlers  beyond  the  ;Missis- 
sipi)i  River:  a  grandson  was  the  first  set- 
tler in  Kansas,  another  was  among  the 
earliest  in  Colorado;  and  still  a  third  was 
tbe    faiucus    Kit    Carson,    the    noted    guide. 


born  in  1809,  the  year  renowned  for  its 
l)rofligacy  of  greatness. 

Inasmuch  as  the  book  partakes  of  the 
nature  of  historical  fiction,  it  is  difficult  at 
times  to  tell  when  one  is  reading  of  Boone 
iu  fact  and  when  in  Action.  The  narrative 
begins  with  a  chapter  on  the  American 
Backwoodsman  before  the  Revolution:  this 
account  is  inteiesting  and  instructive,  giv- 
ing, as  it  does,  the  origin  of  these  peculiar 
denizens  of  the  American  forest,  found  no- 
where else  in  the  world  —  indigenous  to 
their   country. 

The  book  is  written  for  young  readers, 
for  children,  but  it  will  be  eagerly  read  by 
"children  of  larger  growth."  It  is  in- 
teresting, exciting  reading,  with  its  dra- 
matic incidents  and  hairbreadth  escapes.  It 
is  also  as  safe  and  wholesome  a  book  of 
adventure  as  can  be  placed  in  the  hands 
of   the  young. 

The   Revolt  of  Auiie    Rojie:    By    Helen    R. 

Martin,    author    of    "Tillie:    A   Menno- 

nite     Maid."      Cloth,    12    mo.    387    pp. 

Price    $1.50.       The     Century    Company. 

New   York.,  1908. 


96 


REVIEWS    AND   NOTES 


This  book  seems  to  have  the  strongesc 
plot  of  any  of  Mrs.  Martin's  books.  The 
incidents  of  the  story  are  fairly  complica- 
ted. Anne  Royle  is  an  orphan  girl,  and 
with  her  fosterfather,  his  wife  being  dead, 
lives  with  her  uncle.  She  does  not  know 
that  her  foster-father  is  not  her  real  father 
until  he  tells  her  so..  This  may  be  a  sur- 
prise to  the  reader;  but  the  outcome  of  the 
disclosure  is  easily  anticipated,  because 
of  the  attitude  he  assumes  in  breaking  the 
news  to  her. 

In  the  same  town  are  also  a  rector  and 
liis  curate;  it  is  by  these  three  men  that 
Anne's  spirit  is  put  on  the  rack,  but,  her 
womanhood  asserting  itself,  she  I'evolts 
against  the  oppression  that  has  encom- 
passed her  all  her  life  and  marries  the  man 
of  her  choice. 

The  book  is  advertised  as  being  a 
"story  whose  characters  are  not  Pennsyl- 
vania-Dutch". This  may  be  true  but  it  is 
not  the  whole  truth.  The  scene  is  laid  in 
the  Pennsylvania-German  countrv — Read- 
ing!?) Hamburg,  and  the  Blue  Mountains. 
Seemingly  the  author  cannot  write  a  book 
without  giving  the  Pennsylvania-Germans 
a  slap.  The  thirty-ninth  chapter,  contain- 
ing the  offensive  remarks,  has  no  vital 
conection  with  the  main  plot,  it  could  be 
easily  emitted;  in  fact,  it  is  a  defect  in 
the  artistic  arrangement  of  the  whole  story. 
Seemingly  it  was  inserted  for  the  express 
])urpose  of  giving  these  people  a  fling. 

The  whole  substance  of  this  entire  chap- 
ter is  so  ridiculous  and  preposterous  that 
one  hesitates  to  pass  further  judgment  on 
it  for  fear  it  might  be  uncritical,  except  to 
say  what  was  said  before:  the  difficulty  of 
idealizing  these  "sordid"(!)  people  lies 
with  the  arti.=5t  and  not  with  the  material. 
Miss  Singraaster  also  writes  short  stories 
about  these  same  people,  but  she  writes 
in  a  far  more  acceptable  and  artistic 
manner  than  the  author  of  The  Revolt  of 
Anne  Royle."  She  exposes  their  weaknesses 
and  plays  upon  their  foibles  without  giving 
offence,  and  idealizes  them  without  de- 
jiarting  from  the  actual  facts. 

The  book  may  be  fairly  interesting 
reading,  but  we  do  not  believe  that  it  is 
altogether  a  wholesome  one,  especially 
for  younger  people.  All  of  Mrs.  Martin's 
heroines  are  precocious,  there  is  an  abnor- 
mality and  gloominess  about  them  that  is 
not  healthy.  There  is  some  fascinating, 
exciting,  love-making,  but  it,  like  some  of 
the  moral  ideas  expressed,  does  not  edify 
and  make  for  noble  manhood  and  woman- 
hood. It  is  only  just  to  say,  on  the  other 
hand,    that    the     author     has     accomplished 


something  if  she  has  lessend  the  grip  that 
superstition  still  seems  to  have  on  these 
people. 

Peggy    Ovveu:      by    Lucy    Foster    Madison, 
author   of   "A   Maid   of   Salem    Towne." 
Cloth,    12    mo.       Illustrated.       385     pp. 
The   Penn   Publishing  Company,   Phila- 
delphia, Pa. 
The  scene  of  this     bustling  story  is  laid 
in  Philadelphia:    it  is  based  on  the  histori- 
cal    incidents  of  the     stormy  days  of  1776. 
The  heroine  is     Peggy  Owen,  a  noble,  win- 
some young     Quaker  girl  of  colonial  days, 
a  young  patriot  of  the  kind  that  did  things 
in  times  of  old. 

Although  the  family  were  members  of 
the  Society  of  Friends,  the  father  could 
not  resist  the  call  to  arms  and  enlisted.  It 
is  while  engaged  in  the  siege  of  Boston  that 
Peggy  shows  her  patriotism.  At  the  risk 
of  her  life  she  makes  her  way  to  the  camp 
of  General  Putman  to  inform  him  of  a  spy 
whose  plot  to  betray  his  countrj'  she  over- 
head in  her  father's  stable.  Her  father  is 
taken  prisoner  and  left  to  die  in  a  British 
prison ;  to  intercede  for  him  she  makes  her 
way  to  the  camp  of  General  Howe,  and  to 
the  famished  camp  of  General  Wasliington 
at  Valley  Forge.  Her  father  is  released, 
and  restored  to  health,  the  spy  is  executed 
and  the  old  country  home  at  Strawbery  Hill 
is  saved. 

The  story  is  written  in  an  exceedingly 
simple  style,  in  true  Quaker-like  simplici- 
ty. The  plot  is  not  at  all  complicated. There 
is  something  poetic  in  the  style  and  diction, 
and  in  fact  in  the  very  outside  appearance 
of  the  book.  The  writer  has  revived  an 
effective  custom  of  old,  followed  by  Scott, 
Irving  and  others,  of  prefixing  to  each 
chapter  an  appropriate  poetic  quotation. 
And  no  better  quotation  to  precede  the 
whole  story  could  be  found  than  the  stanza 
from  "Evangeline." 

No  more  wholesome  book  for  young 
])eoi)le  was  published  during  the  last  year. 
There  is  a  healthy,  bracing  air  about  it 
that  makes  life  seem  more  worth-while 
than  the  usual  sickening,  simpering, 
"society"  novel. 

4»      *      4» 

— The  last  week  in  November  another 
Penny i)acker  book  sale  was  held  in  Phila- 
delphia. The  remainder  of  15000  volumes 
of  the  ex-Governor's  books  will  be  sold  in 
April.  It  has  been  estimated  that  the  whole 
collection  will  realize  about  $50,000.  The 
highest  price  realized  at  the  recent  sale 
was   $135  for  a   Bradford  imprint  of  1682. 


Vol.  X 


MARCH,  1909 


No.  3 


Sketch  of  Colonel,  Later  Judge  Matthias  Hollenback 


By  Edward  Welles,  Wilkes-Barre,  Pa. 

(continued  from  FEBRUARY  ISSUE) 


The  details  of  liollenback'r.  early 
life  at  Wyoming  (as  Wilkes  -  Barre 
was  called  before  1772),  are  naturally 
somewhat  meagre.  At  the  outbreak 
of  the  Revolutionary  War  he  was  in 
lousiness  on  the  west  side  of  the  Pub- 
lic Square :  and  when,  in  the  year 
1776.  the  company  of  Wyoming  men 
in  which  he  had  enlisted,  one  of  two 
raised  by  authority  of  Congress  for 
home  defence,  was  ordered  into  the 
general  service,  he  took  his  younger 
brother  John  into  partnership,  and 
entrusted  the  business  to  him  during 
his  own  absence.  As  he  had  pre- 
viously. Oct.  17,  1775,  been  commis- 
sioned by  ( "loxernor  Trumbull  as  en- 
sign in  the  24th  regiment  of  the  Con- 
necticut militia,  he  was  now  by  Con- 
gress commissioned  to  the  same 
grade  in  one  of  the  two  independent 
com])anies;  this  action  of  Congress 
was  (lalcd  Aug.  26.  1776.  As  these 
two  com])anies  were  so  soon  ordered 
into  the  main  army.  Hollenback  had 
the  fortune  to  see  sei  \'ice  under  Wash- 
ington in  the  campaigns  of  1776  and 
1777;  being  engaged  in  the  actions  at 
Millstone.  Hound  Brook,  jNlud  Fort. 
Brandywinc  and  Germantown..  His 
<larin<j-   conduct    at    Millstone.   ln"s   first 


engagement,  was  specially  noted. 

When  danger  threatened  their 
homes,  and  Congress  refused  or  neg- 
lected to  afford  relief,  the  officers  of 
the  Wyoming  companies  resigned 
their  commissions  and  returned  to 
Wyoming,  says  Miner,  (not  to  avoid 
danger,  but  to  meet  it)  As  the  fatal 
day  of  Wyoming  approached,  scouts 
were  sent  up  the  river  to  observe  and 
report  the  movements  of  the  invad- 
ing force.  Hollenback  with  one  com- 
panion was  on  one  of  these  scouting 
parties,  about  the  last  of  June.  A  few 
miles  al>o\e  the  head  of  the  valley 
they  found  the  bodies  of  the  two 
young  Hardings.  who  had  been  fresh- 
ly killed  and  scalped  by  the  Indians, 
whose  trail  led  back  over  the  mount- 
ains to  the  northwest.  These  they 
brought  down  the  river  in  a  canoe; 
though  I  lollenback's  companion  was 
so  o\ercome  with  fear  and  trembling 
that  he  begged  to  be  set  ashore,  and 
lloIkiil)ack  alone  brought  the  bodies 
of  the  slain  I^rethren  down  to  their 
friends    at    Jenkins'    Fort. 

Insomuch  as  the  invading  force 
was  now  So  near  at  hand,  no  more 
scouts  were  sent  out:  but  the  whole 
\-allev    was     roused,    and    all     effective 


98 


TPIE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


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SKETCH  OF  COLONEL,  LATER  JUDGE  HOLLENBACK 


99 


men  assembled  at  Forty  Fort  as  fast 
as  organized.  Col.  Zebulon  Butler,  then 
ai  home  from  Washington's  army  u])- 
<in  a  furlough,  was  asked  to  take 
rctnimand  i>i  the  little  army  of  de- 
fence. The  records  of  that  service 
ha\e  always  been  more  or  less  con- 
fused, as  the  little  force  was  organ- 
i/.ecl  iu  haste,  for  a  desperate  emer- 
i^ency.  llollenliack  had  enlisted  as 
lieutenant  under  Capt.  Dethick 
Hewitt,  who  headed  one  .)f  the  com- 
panies upon  the  right  wing.  It  has 
been  often  said  that  he  served  under 
his  friend  Capt.  Durkee.  who  was  his 
commander  in  the  Xew  Jersey  cam- 
l)aign,  and  whose  life  he  attempted 
to  save  on  the  day  of  the  battle;  but 
Durkee's  service  was  upon  the  stafif  of 
Col.    Piutler,  and  not  in  the  line. 

We  will  let  Lieut.  Hollenback  tell 
tis  so  much  as  he  will  of  this  day  of 
liattle,  from  a  paper  in  his  own  hand, 
dated  Dec.  26.  1820;  a  paper  -  unfor- 
tunately not  written  for  the  purpose  of 
relating  his  own  story,  but  solely  to 
\indicate  the  memory  of  his  friend 
L"ol.  lUitler  against  certain  ]50st- 
mortem  aspersions  of  his  courage  and 
couduct. 

The  alarm  Avas  great  on  the  2nd  of 
July.  The  regiment  was  collected 
and  marched  on  the  third.  All  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river  crossed  to  Forty 
l-'ort.  where  they  counselled  what  to 
do.  While  there  a  flag  was  sent  in, 
demanding  the  surrender  of  ,the  fort 
'■\hich  was  refused.  The  word  was 
"figlit  tlie  enemy  and  beat  them 
back".  On  the  height,  about  halfway 
from  Forty  Fort  to  Wintermoot's 
they  halted;  and  soon  after  the  smoke 
of  Wintermoot's  I'ort.  about  three 
miles  off,  was  discovered ;  which 
seemed  to  put  new  1  ife  into  the  mili- 
tia. They  cra\ed  orders  to  march; 
which  they  did.  almost  to  the  fort; 
1  was  on  the  right  wing  of  the  regi- 
ment and  close  tti  the  fort,  where  we 
engaged  the  British  j^art  of  the  en- 
emy's army,  and  as  1  supposed  were 
beating  them.  'Ilie  first  T  knew  the 
militia  on  the  left  ga\e  wav  and  broke. 


landing  the  firing  to  cease  on  the  left, 
1  ran  back  of  the  smoke  which  settled 
down  on  us  on  the  right,  and  discover- 
ed our  ])eople  all  in     confusion  on  the 
left.     L  informed  Cai)t.   llewitt  of  this, 
and     that  he     must    order    a     retreat, 
which   he   did   and   we   fled   every  wav 
all  in  confusion,  to  make  the  best  we 
could  to  save  our  lives."  Miner,  in,  his 
History  of     W^yoming,     p..  .224,  has  a 
\'ery    pretty    story    of  the  brave   Hew- 
itt's   refusal    to    order    a    retreat :     but 
the  above  account,  from   the     hand  of 
the  very  ofificer  in  (piestion,     must  be 
held  authentic,  tradition  to  the  contra- 
ry notwithstanding.  That  the  outnum- 
bered and  overmastered  patriots  were 
compelled  to  yield  to  the     inevitable. 
casts     no     slur     upon     their  memory. 
Captain     Hewitt    gave    his    life  to    his 
country    that    day:  and  of  Lieut.  Hol- 
lenljack's    own    conduct    in  the  battle. 
Miner    says,    in    the    ap])endix    to    his 
"History",       page     4.      "Fear    was    a 
stranger    to  his    bosom.   I    have  heard 
several    say  who    saw   him    there,  and 
afterwards  recognized  him  in  the  bat- 
tle, that  a  braver  soldier  never  march- 
ed   out    to  meet    an    enemy.     Hollen- 
back   was    but    twenty-six    years  old : 
and     fleet     of     foot  and    expert    in  all 
manly  exercises,  he  had  better  fortune 
than  many  in  the  retreat  and  massacre 
that    followed.     His     esca^ie  was     by 
swimming  the  river  in  the  edge  of  the 
evening     near      Monockonock      island. 
In  his  flight  to    the  bank  of  the  river, 
he    had     managed     to  throw     off    his 
clothing;  putting  a  piece  of  gold  into 
his     mouth,     and    securing    a    roll    of 
Continental    money    'c>.n(\    a    bill  of  ex- 
change  in   his   cue.   Diving  and  swim- 
ming under  water  as  long  as  he  could 
hold  breath,  when   coni]:)elled   to  come 
to     the     surface    for  air,    the      bullets 
flew    so    close  that  one  caused  him  to 
gasp,     by     which     he     lost     the     gold 
piece:    but    the    other    \aluables    kept 
him    com])any    until    he    gained    safety 
upon  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Susque- 
hanna.  Here  he    met  a    neighbor  who 
gave  him  a  hunting-shirt;  and  in  this 
•  niise    he    reached    the  fort  at  W'ilke^- 


100 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Barrc  toward  midnight ;  giving  the 
^anxious  wom^n  th>ere  collected  the 
first  niews  of  the  issue  of  the  conflict 
that  bad  made  so  many  of  them  wid- 
ows and  their  children  fatherless. 

As  soon  as  he  could  clothe  and  re- 
fresh himself,  Holknback  mounted 
Hiis  horse  and  hastened  over  the 
mountains  eastward  to  Rear  Creek, 
to  meet  Capt.  Spalding  who  had  been 
dispatched,  too  late,  with  the  rem- 
nant of  tlie  two  Wyoming  companies 
to  the  relief  of  the  settlement.  To 
liim  he  proposed  an  immediate  march 
into  tlie  \alley,  with  the  view  of 
checking  the  further  advance  of  the 
invading  forces :  but  Spalding  was 
imwilling  to  attempt  what  he  felt 
could  lead  only  to  additional  disaster. 
This  view  was  in  fact  justified  on 
the  return  of  Hollenback.  with  a 
few  volunteers  from  Spalding's 
ranks,  to  the  brow  of  the  mountain ; 
which  gave  him  a  sight  of  his  own 
buildings  in  flames,  and  the  enemy's 
flag  flying  over  the  fort  at  Wilkes- 
Barre  :  this  was  on  the  fourth  of  July, 
a  sorrowful  second  anniversary  of  the 
day  of  Independence. 

Abandoning  the  hope  of  doing  any- 
thing further  to  avert  the  ruin  of  the 
settlement,  the  active  young  man  now 
devoted  himself  to  the  succor  of  the 
flying  fugitives,  old  and  young  who 
were  making  their  way,  defenceless 
and  destitute,  across  the  mountains, 
and  through  trackless  swamps  where 
many  died,  to  safety  upon  the  banks 
of  the  Delaware.  Making  requisitions 
upon  Spalding's  commisariat,  as 
says  Miner,  "he  rapidly  returned,  la- 
den with  bread,  for  the  relief  of  the 
flying  widows  and  their  suffering 
children.  Tmjiarting  a  saving  morsel 
to  one,  and  then  hastening  on  to  an- 
other starving  group,  he  came,  said 
the  ancient  fold)  people,  like  an  angel 
of  mercy''. 

Hollenback's  earnings  in  the  way 
of  business  up  to  tiie  time  of  the  in- 
vasion were  such  only  as  might  be  ex- 
pected in  a  newly  jjopulated  wilder- 
ness, where  a  mere  living  was  accom- 


plished only  at  the  cost  of  hard  labor 
and  struggle.  His  inventory  of  losses 
by  the  Indian  raid  is  in  existence,  en- 
dorsed "A  list  of  effects  which  the 
subscriber  lost  when  the  Indians 
made  an  incursion  on  Westmoreland 
in  the  state  of  Connecticut,  Avhich  was 
in  the  month  of  July,  1778";  the  total 
amount  being  £671.30.  It  will  be  ob- 
served that  the  "Battle  and  Massacre 
of  Wyoming"  was  yet  an  unknown 
phrase;  and  that  Wyoming  was  West- 
moreland, and  in  Connecticut  instead 
of  Pennsylvania.  And  it  took  years  of 
struggle  and  contention  and  not  a 
little  bloodshed,  to  settle  the  ques- 
tion :-  "Is  Westmoreland  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, or  is  Wyoming  in  Connecticut? 

As  soon  as  the  condition  of  affairs 
\\ould  permit,  Hollenback  was  back 
at  his  work ;  and  building  a  new  house 
and  store  (still  standing  on  South 
Main  street,  Wilkes-Barre)  he  en- 
gaged in  business  with'  that  energy 
and  assiduity  for  which  his  name  was 
a  synonym.  One  of  his  first  ventures 
on  the  conclusion  of  peace  in  1782 
was  the  collection  of  a  dro\e  of  cattle 
in  the  state  of  Connecticut,  and  driv- 
ing them  to  Niagara,  where  he  ex- 
pected a  good  demand  from  the  mili- 
tary forces  on  both  sides  of  the 
boundary  line.  But  so  slow  was  the 
prc\gress  of  intelligence  in  those  times 
that  when  he  crossed  into  Canada  he 
was  taken  prisoner  by  the  British 
authorities,  and  held  so  for  several 
weeks,  until  the  arrival  of  the  official 
news  of  peace  ;  when  he  was  able  to 
sell  his  beef  to  good  advantage.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  a  trade  of  that 
kind  which  formed  one  of  his  indust- 
ries f(^r  many  years ;  in  the  prosecu- 
tion of  Avhich  he  incurred  many  dan- 
gers and  hardships,  and  laid  the  found- 
ation for  many  future  l)usiness  con- 
nections. 

He  now  entered  int(T  trade  on  a 
large  and  increasing  scale ;  establish- 
ing trading-posts  at  various  points 
along  the  valley  of  the  Susquehanna  as 
far  north  as  Elmira,  then  called  New- 
town. These  "stores"  he  kept  stocked 


SKETCH  OF  COLONEL,  LATER  JUDGE  HOLLENBACK 


101 


with  goods  purchased  mainly  at 
Philadelphia,  carted  across  the  coun- 
try to  Aliddletown,  and  then  "pushed" 
up  the  river  in  canoes  and  J3urham 
boats,  to  W'ilkes-Barre,  Wyalusing. 
Towanda,  Tioga  Point,  Newtown  and 
Owego;  the  trip  l^eing  always  labor- 
ious, and  consuming  weeks  of  time. 
These  goods  were  of  course  such  as 
were  needed  in  a  new  country  and  the 
inventories  and  price'  lists  of  the 
ei^l-jteenth  century  dates  are  ver}'-  in 
teresting.  The  customers  were  the 
pioneers  and  their  families,  with  such 
of  the  aborigines  as  still  lingered  on 
the  frontier.  Pay  was  largely  in  bar- 
ter, the  produce  of  the  country;  such 
as  furs,  hides,  grain,  salt  and  whiskey. 
About  1792-3,  Hollenback  began  to 
invest  largely  in  wild  lands ;  asso- 
ciating with  himself  such  men  as 
Timoth}^  Pickering,  James  Wilsoti., 
etc.,  so  that  at  the  time  of  his  death  he 
was  one  of  the  largest  landholder-s  in 
northeastern  Pennsylvania.  Concur- 
rently he  cleared  farms,  built  farm- 
houses, mills  and  distilleries,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  rrmnufacture  of  paper, 
powder  and  linseed  oil.  His  trading- 
posts  at. Athens  and  Elmira  were  es- 
tablished in  1783.  P)Oth  were  consider- 
ed important  points;  particularly  the 
former,  at  the  confluence  of  the  Che- 
mung and  Susquehanna  rivers;  Tioga 
Point  being  regarded  by  the  Six 
X^ations  as  the  key  of  the  whole  valley 
of  the  Suscpiehanna,  in  or  near  which 
lay  the  hunting-gn^unds  of  their  sub- 
ject and  tributary  tribes.  At  this  point 
and  Elmira  were  negotiated  several 
important  Indian  treaties  within  ten 
or  fifteen  years  of  the  close  of  the  war 
the  objects  aimed  at  being  generally 
to  cpiiet  the  natives  and  prevent  u]i- 
risings.  Two  were  under  the  manage- 
ment of  Col.  Timothy  Pickering;  and 
at  these  and  others  Ilollenback's 
])resence  and  ser\ices  were  rec|uired 
as  master  of  transportation  and  pur- 
veyor of  supplies.  At  these  and  the 
treaties  of  Fort  Stanwix  (1784)  and 
P>uffalo  Creek  (1788),  he  made  the  ac- 
(piaintance    of    the    principal    chiefs  of 


the  Irocpiois,  as  Brant,  Cornplanter, 
Red  Jacket,  I'armer's  Brother,  and 
others.  About  1792,  Red  Jacket 
being  on  the  way  to  Philadelphia  to 
see  President  Washington,  paid  Col. 
Hollenliack  a  friendly  visit  at  his 
home  in  W'ilkes-Barre ;  and  the 
writer's  mother,  then  four  years  old, 
long  remembered  the  proud  bearing 
of  the  noble  savage. 

While  Hollenback  was  so  largely 
engaged  in  trade  and  business,  his  fa- 
miliar titles  of  Colonel  and  Judge  bear 
witness  to  his  close  ass(jciation  >yith 
he  ]niblic  interests.  In  May  1787  he 
was  commissioned  as  justice  of  the 
Peace,  and  of  the  County  Court  of 
Common  Pleas,  by  Benjamin  Frank- 
lin, President  of  the  Supreme  Execu- 
tive Council ;  in  October,  as  Lieut. 
Colonel;  these  three  commissions 
bearing  the  signature  of  Franklin.  By 
virtue  of  several  subsequent  renewals, 
he  exercised  the  military  office  until 
about  1800.  In  1791  he  was  a])pointed 
by  Gov.  Mifflin  Associate  Judge  of  the 
courts  of  Luzerne  County;  an  office 
laid  down  \\'ith  his  life,  thirty-seven 
x^ears  later.  ^Fhat  his  views  of  justice 
though  doubtless  correct,  were  some- 
what unconventionai,  may  be  githered 
from  an  anecdote  related  by  the  late 
Judge  Collins.  The  case  at  issue  was 
a  charge  of  assault  and  battery  against 
the  veteran  Col.  Ransom,  who  had 
floored  a  man  who  had  spoken  dispar- 
agingly of  the  character  and  services 
of  Washington.  \Vhen  the  case  was 
called.  President  Judge  Scott  arose 
and  left  the  bench,  saying  that  inas- 
much as  the  action  was  one  which 
concerned  an  old  sohiier.  he  thought 
it  pro])er  to  leave  its  judgment  to  an- 
other old  sold'er.  his  associate.  Judge 
Hollenback.  The  defendant  was  ready 
to  nlead  guilty  to  the  indictment,  hav- 
ing" no  defence  to  offer.  "Col.  Ransom" 
said  the  judge,  "where  were  you  on 
such  a  date?"  ^^'ith  A\'ashington  in 
.\ew  Jersey,  your  honor."  "'And  where 
on  such  another  date?"  "A  prisoner  in 
Canada,  sif".  "Right :  T  believe  you 
were:  and  where  on  the  third  of  Ji^ly, 


102 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


1 778?". "With  Capt.  Spalding,  on  the 
march  to  the  relief  of  Wyoming".. 
"Right  again;  and  so  you  knocked  the 
rascal  down,  did  you?". "I  did,  Judge; 
and  I  would  do  it  again',  "Right  a- 
gain,  Colonel ;  but  you  have  plead 
guilty,  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  the  law 
IS  against  you.  The  sentence  of  the 
court  is  that  you  pa}^  a  fine  of  six  and 
a  quarter  cents  and  costs :  Mr.  Clerk, 
you  will  charge  that  bill  to  me". Col. 
Hendrick  B  Wright,  in  his  Pl3'-mouth 
Sketches,  has  a  somewhat  different 
version  of  this  incident ;  but  as  Judge 
Collins  was  an  auditor  and  eye-wit- 
ness, his  version  has  some  cla:im  to 
precedence. 

During  his  strenuous  business  ca- 
reer of  sixty  years,  Hollenback  en- 
countered dangers  and  hardships,  and 
went  through  adventures  innumer- 
able ;  of  which  he  was .  sometimes 
tempted  to  descant  in  the  social  cir- 
cle. That  he  never  spared  the  time,  or 
thought  it  worth  while  to  commit  his 
recollections  to  paper,  is  a  matter  of 
much  regret.  On  one  occasion  only 
was  he  interviewed  by  a  competent 
pen  in  this  direction,  for  an  hour  or 
two  of  leisure ;  but  on  re-persual  of  his 
own  notes,  the  interviewer  was  so 
dissatisfied  with  the  measure  of  his 
success  in  reproducing  the  style  and 
])ersonality  of  the  narrator,  that  he 
destroyed  his  manuscript,  intending  to 
resume  the  subject  at  a  later  oppor- 
tunity ;   the   opportunity   never   came. 

It  was  as  a  man  of  affairs  that 
Hollenback  left  his  mark  upon  the 
newly  settled  and  growing  region  in 
which  he  had  cast  his  lot.  Of  slender 
and  vigorous  person,  inured  to  hard- 
ship and  exposure,  business  was  his 
employment :  leisure  he  hardly  under- 
stood. "Tf  business  called",  savs 
[Miner,  "neither  heat  nor  cold,  hail, 
rain  nor  snow,  high  water,  bad  roads 
nor  darkness  arrested  his  progress, 
while  the  way  was  practicable.  In  al- 
tnost  ever}'  instance  where  a  store  was 
erected,  a  farm  was  bought,  ^nd  the 
cultivation  of  the  soil  went  hand  in 
hand   with  the    disposal    of    merchan- 


dise." His  holdings  of  woodlands  ex- 
tended in  a  nearl}^  unbroken  line  from 
Harvey's  Lake  to  Towanda,  a  dis- 
tance of  thirty-five  miles  as  the  crow 
flies ;  in  addition  to  many  thousands 
of  acres  in  other  sections  of  the  state. 
It  was  inevitable  that  the  cares  of 
so  large  a  business  should  eventually 
tell  upon  his  iron  constitution.  Among 
other  duties  were  those  of  the  presi- 
dency of  the  local  bridge  company;  a 
corporation  which,  although  in  later 
years  phenomenally  successful,  then 
evidently  needed  occasional  attention, 
in  order  to  find  out  why  the  returns 
were  so  unsatisfactory.  And  when,  in 
1822  the  poet  Halleck  visited  the  stor- 
ied valley,  he  seems  to  have  found  the 
old  soldier  seated  rather  a,t  the  receipt 
of  customs.  In  his  poem  entitled 
"Wyoming."  in  which  he  compares 
the  existing  conditions  with  those 
poetically  described  by  Campbell  in 
his  "Gertrude."  he  says  : 

■'  Judge    Hollenbach,    who    keeps   the    toll- 
bridge    gate 
And   the   town   records,   is   the   Albert   now 
Of  Wyoming;   like  him,  in  church  and  state. 
Her  Doric  column;    and  upon  his   la-ow 
The  thin  locks,  white  with  seventy  winter's 

snow, 
Look  patriarchal." 

During  the  latter  years  of  his  stren- 
uous life,  most  of  his  cares  were  taken 
off  his  hands  by  his  very  competent 
son,  the  late  George  Matson  Hollen- 
back. Esq.,  whose  fortunate  business 
career"  is  within  the  memory  of  men 
now  li\'ing.  Late  in  his  own  life  the 
father  called  upon  John  Jacob  Astor, 
with  whom  he  had  been  acquainted  at 
the  outset  of  his  career.  "Have  you 
any  sons.  Hollenback?"  said  Astor. 
"T  ha^■e  one,"  was  the  reply.  "Send 
him  to  me ;  I  will  take  care  of  him." 
"I  thank  you.  sir",  replied  the  proud 
father ;  "he  can  take  care  of  himself." 

But  as  long  as  physical  ability  serv- 
ed, it  was  inevitable  that  a  man  who 
had  been  so  exacting  a  master  to  him- 
self, holding  his  employes  to  an  al- 
most equally  strict  accountability, 
should  prove  unwilling  to  lay  down 
his  burdens;  and  even  to  the  last  year 


SKETCH  OF  COLONEL.  LATER  JUDGE  HOLLENBACK 


103 


— almost  the  last  mouth — of  his  life 
he  was  busy,  as  health  served,  in  at- 
tention to  duty.  Late  in  the  year  1828 
he  made  his  usual  tour  of  inspection 
of  his  interests  in  the  upper  Susque- 
hanna valley;  in  the  prosecution  of 
which  he  contracted  a  cold,  'which 
|)robably  shortened  his  life.  At  the 
j^eneral  election  in  November,  he  in- 
sisted on  being-  driven  to  the  polls,  in 
order  to  cast  his  vote  for  Andrew 
Jackson.  In  deference  to  the  condi- 
tion of  his  health,  the  election  board 
came  out  to  the  carriai^e  to  receive  the 


\'ote ;  an  incident  which  called  forth 
ajji)lause  from  the  bystanders.  He 
died  on  the  i8tli  of  February,  1829. 
aged  seventy-seven  years  and  one 
day;  survived  by  a  widow  and  four 
children. 

*  One  of  the  widows,  whose  husband. 
Cyprian  Hibbard,  was  slain  in  the  battle, 
became  afterwards  Mr.  Hollenback's  wife: 
and  as  such  managed  his  household  and 
reared  their  children  with  energy  and 
judgment,  and  was  the  almoner  of  his 
many  hospitalities,  for  well  on  to  half  a 
century. 


The  Palatines  of  the  Hudson  and  Schoharie 

A  TRAGIC  STORY  OF  COLONIAL  TIMES 


By  James  B.  Laux,  now  of  New  York 


E  R  H  A  P  S 


the  greatest 
blunder  ever  committed 
by  a  Colonial  Governor, 
was  that  by  G  >vernor 
Htniter  in  his  tyrannical 
treatment  of  the  Pala- 
tines who  arrived  at  New 
York  in  1710;  the  only 
German  emigration  of 
of  any  consequence  that  came  to  Xew 
\'ork  in  Colonial  days.  Kocherthal's 
colony  in  1709  numbc-mg  fewer  than 
fifty  souls,  while  the  third  and  last  ar- 
rival in  1722  was  but  a  ship  load,  com- 
l)aratively  few  in  number,  many  of 
whom  wont  to  }'enns}'lvania  nnmedi- 
Htely  after  landing. 

These  emigrants  were  the  saddest 
company  that  e\er  landed  in  a  strange 
land  to  found  new  homes.  They  came 
from  the  Palatinate  of  the  Rhine 
which  for  generations  had  been  a  hell 
on  earth,  swept  as  it  was  by  the  fiery 
bosom  of  war  and  destruction.  They 
were  a  l^roken,  sorrowful  remnant  of 
the  thirty  three  thousand  who  with 
high  hopes  left  their  wretched  homes 
in  1708  and  17CK;,  on  the  invitation  of 
good  Queen  Anne  for  London,  from 
whence  they  were  to  be  sent  to  the 
Carolinas.     or     to   some    other    of   her 


Majesty's      Colonies,      te)     be     settled 
there. 

The  story  of  this  great  army  ot  exiles 
from  their  native  land,  impatient  to 
reach  the  Xew  World  which  had  been 
])ainted  in  Queen  Anne's  books  and 
pam])hlets,  and  scattered  throughout 
the  \'alley  of  the  Rhine,  as  a  'and  of 
plenty  and  happiness,  is  one  of  the 
most  pathetic  in  the  history  of  man- 
kind and  should  have  won  the  sym- 
]jathy.  encouragement  and  substan- 
tial help  of  the  i)eo])le  with  whom  they 
cast  their  lot. 

Seven  thousantl  after  suft'er-ng  the 
greatest  privations  in  the  streets  of 
London,  were  returned  almost  naked 
and  in  the  utmost  despondency  to 
their  old  homes  on  the  Rhine.  Ten 
thousand  died  for  want  of  food  and 
from  sickness.  Many  died  on  shi[)- 
I)oard  and  thousands  were  wrecked  at 
sea.  Xearly  four  thousand  were  sent 
to  Ireland  where  lands  had  been  set 
aside  for  them  in  the  County  of  Lim- 
erick, where  their  descendants  still 
reside  and  are  known  as  German 
I'alatines,  respected  and  honored  for 
their  many  n.ianly  virtues  anil  high 
character,  a  few  still  speaking  the 
patois     of    the     Rhine,    not    unlike    the 


104 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


patois  of  the  Pennsylvania  Getmans. 

Four  thousand  left  England  in  ten 
\  essels  on  Christmas  day  1709  and  af- 
ter a  perilous  voyage  of  nearly  six 
months  arrived  at  New  York  on  June 
14,  1710.  Seventeen  hundred  died  at 
sea  and  while  landing.  The  remainder 
were  encamped  in  tents  they  had 
brought  with  them  from  England,  on 
Xutting.  now  Governor's  Island.  In 
the  late  autumn  about  fourteen  hun- 
dred were  taken  to  Livingston  Manor 
about  a  hundred  miles  up  the  Hud- 
son River.  The  widowed  women, 
sickly  men  and  orphan  chikb'en  re- 
mained in  New  York.  The  irphans 
and  many  who  were  not,  were  arbi- 
iraril}'  apprenticed  by  Gov'ernor  Hun- 
ter to  citizens  of  New  York  and  New 
jersey,  distant  from  friends  and  rela- 
tives. 

The  Palatines  settled  on  tiie  Liv- 
ingston Manor  were  under  indenture 
to  serve  Queen  Anne  as  "her  loyal 
and  grateful  subjects"  to  manufacture 
tar  and  to  raise  hemp  so  that  the  ex- 
pense of  their  transportation  and  cost 
of  sustenance  amounting  to  ten  thou- 
sand pounds  sterling  advanced  b}- 
grant  of  Parliament  might  be  repaid. 
They  were  in  much  the  same  position 
as  that  of  the  Redem]>tioners  who 
came  to  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland 
])revious  to  the  Revolution.  They 
were  expected  to  manufacture  lar  and 
pitch  in  the  pine  forests  and  a  great 
supply  of  naval  stitres  was  expected  to 
be  gathered  by  their  lal)ors.  but  ow- 
ing to  natural  causes  of  which  Munter 
and  his  associates  were  grossly  ignor- 
ant the  project  was  doomed  to  failure 
from  the  beginning,  as  the  land  Avas 
unfitted  on  which  to  raise  any  kind  of 
naval  stores  in  any  C(Misiderable  Quan- 
tity or  for  raising  corn,  cattle  and 
other  provisions  for  their  subsistence, 
so  poor  and  baren  was  the  soil. 

When  they  petitir  ned  Governor 
Hunter,  while  on  a  visit  he  m.ade  to 
their  villages,  that  they  might  be  ]mt 
in  ])ossession  of  lands  in  the  Scho- 
harie \'alley  which  the  Indians  had 
given  to  Queen  Anne  for  their  use, 
thev  were  insolently  refused,  the  Gov- 


ernor in  a  great  passion  stamping  on 
the  ground  saying  "here  is  yt)ur  land 
where  you  must  live  and  die." 

In  spite  of  this  language  and  treat- 
ment, that  of  an  inhuman  master  o£ 
his  slaves,  over  a  hundred  oi  their 
able  bodied  men,  fully  one  third  of 
their  number  capable  of  military  duty, 
volunteered  to  serve  in  the  expedition 
against  Canada  in  171 1,  which  they 
willingly  and  cheerfully  did.  Philip 
and  Nicholas  Laux  were  am.)ng  the 
number.  Their  families  during  their 
absence  were  to  have  been  cared  for 
by  the  Province,  money  for  that  pur- 
pose having  been  placed  in  the  hands 
of  the  Governor.  On  their  return  not 
only  were  they  deprived  of  their  arms 
though  all  that  went  on  the  expedi- 
tion were  to  have  kept  them  by  Queen 
Anne's  ]:)articular  order,  but  wages 
for  their  services  were  refuser!  them 
also.  To  fill  their  cup  of  misery  when 
th^v  arrived  at  their  homes  they 
found  their  families  in  a  famished 
condition,  no  provisions  having  been 
given  them  during  their  absence. 

Every  promise  made  them  in  Eng- 
land and  America  was  broken ;  they 
were  cheated  and  plundered  on  every 
side,  and  in  desperation  to  escape 
certain  starvation  one  hundred  and 
fifty  families  broke  away  from  this  in- 
hospitable spot  late  in  the  year  1712 
starting  for  Schoharie  abouv  sixt}' 
miles  north  west  of  Livmgston  Manor 
wdiich  they  reached  after  incredible 
hardships.  They  had  to  make  their 
way  through  a  roadless  wilderness  < 
without  horses  to  draw  or  carry  their 
belongings,  their  little  children  and 
weak  and  delicate  w^omen.  They  har- 
nessed themselves  to  rudely  construct- 
ed sledges  on  which  they  loaded  their 
baggage,  children  and  sick  and  then 
dragged  them  as  best  they  could 
through  the  snow  which  covered  the 
region  they  journeyed  through,  fre- 
(juently  encountering  long  stretches 
three  feet  in  depth.  It  took  them  over 
three  weeks  to  make  this  journey, 
arriving  at  Schoharie  half  starved  and 
sutTering  from  exposure  and  intense 
cold. 


THE  PALATINES  OF  THE  HUDSON  AND   SCHOHARIE  COUNTY,  N.  Y. 


lOE 


Their  misery  was  in  nowise  dimish- 
ecl  on  their  arrival :  famine  stared  them 
in  the  face  and  had  it  not  been  for  the 
charity  of  friendly  Indians  who  show- 
ed them  where  to  gather  edible  roots 
and  herbs,  every  soul  of  them  must 
inevitably  have  perished.  Their  in- 
domitable courage  and  energy  enabled 
them  however  to  sur\'ive  their  dread- 
ful plight  and  a  year  later  found  them 
housed,  with  improvement  of  their 
land  under  way.  But  like  the  Israel- 
ites of  old  they  were  pursued  by  their 
Pharaoh.  Governor  Hunter,  who  re- 
sented their  unceremonious  departure 
from  Livingston  Manor  and  who  was 
determined  to  punissh  them  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  but  a  short  time  before 
their  departure  he  had  notifieJ  them 
that  he  could  not  undertake  any  long- 
er to  supply  them  with  subsistence 
and^that  they  would  have  to  shift  for 
themselves,  permitting  them  to  accept 
"any  employment  they  may  get  from 
farmers  and  others  in  the  Province 
and  New  Jerse\'  for  their  own  and 
their  families'  support,  until  they  be  • 
recalled  by  Proclamation  or  other 
public  notice." 

He  might  as  well  have  said,  for  his 
words  were  to  the  same  effect  "I  re- 
fuse to  sujipl}^  you  any  longer  with 
subsistence  or  to  gi\  t-  you  employ- 
ment. You  can  go  and  starve  so  far 
as  I  am  concerned,  or  woik  elsewhere 
if  you  are  lucky  enough  to  find  it.  If 
any  of  you  are  alive  wiien  I  need  you, 
you  must  come  back  at  once  wherever 
you  may  be,  or  I'll  punish  you."  He 
threatened  to  hang  John  Conrad 
Weiser  their  leader  at  Schoharie  for 
being  "disobedient"  and   mutinous. 

Some  idea  of  the  tyrannical  nature 
of  Governor  Hunter  may  be  gathered 
from  the  instructions  he  gave  to  one 
<if  his  (,^)mmissioners  concerning  the 
Palatines  with  reference  to  their  seek- 
ing employment  elsewhere.  He  says:  ' 
■'You  must  remind  them  of  their  con- 
tract with  her  Majesty  and  assure 
them  there  is  not  the  least  intention 
to  abandon  the  tar  works  or  to  recede 
from  any  ])art  of  their  agreement. 
Therefore    1    hope  thev   will   leaxe  with 


the  full  determination  to  return  at  the 
first  notice,  without  imagining  that 
any  government  or  power  in  any  Pro- 
vince can  protect  them  in  case  they  go 
there." 

"That  should  any  of  them  lemove 
into  any  other  Province  (except  New 
Jersey  which  is  likewise  under  my 
government)  I  have  adopted  measures 
for  their  rendition  and  will  punish 
them  for  so  doing  as  deserters  from 
her  Majesty's  service.' 
*  "That  each  Master  or  Heac!  of  a 
Family  desirous  to  go  to  work  as 
aforesaid,  shall  acquaint  you  of  the 
])lace  he  is  moving  to,  and  receive 
from  you  a  Ticket  of  leave  to  go  there, 
copy  of  which  you  will  enter  in  a 
l)ook,  so  that  should  he  abandon  that 
place  he  ma}'  be  sent  back  and  pun- 
ished." 

"Should  any  dare  depart  without 
such  Ticket  of  leave,  you  will  apply 
to  the  next  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  a 
Hue  and  Cry  in  order  to  pursue  and 
bring  him  back,  and  place  him  in  con- 
finement until  further  orders  from 
me." 

The  instructions  of  Governor  Hun- 
ter suggest  the  Fugitive  Slave  law  of 
ante  helium  days  and  the  regulations 
governing  the  coiu'icts  of  Australia 
and  Tasmania  during  the  Penal  Col- 
ony regime.  Remembering  that  the 
Palatines  had  been  deceived ;  the 
terms  of  their  contract  with  Queen 
Anne  broken  by  Governor  Hunter 
her  representative,  and  subjected  to 
all  kinds  of  ignominy  and  inhuman 
treatment,  it  is  not  .'-urprising  that 
they  revolted  and  quit  forever  the 
place  where  nothing  i,<ut  miser}^  and 
slavery  was  before  them.  TViey  as- 
serted their  manhood  and  defied  the 
Governor,  as  their  forefathers  in  an- 
cient days  defied  the  power  of  imper- 
ial Rome  in  the  German  forests. 

Their  sojourn  in  the  Schoharie  Val- 
ley covering  a  ])eriod  of  about  ten 
years  was  marked  by  the  \-indicative 
animosity  of  Ilunter  and  his  creatures 
at  Albany,  resulting  finally  in  the 
loss  of  their  lands  and  improvement 
owing    to    defective    tides     cunninelv 


106 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


contrived  by  unscrupulous  agents. 
Then  once  more,  the  victims  of  injus- 
tice and  misfortune,  the  greater  num- 
ber left  the  scenes  of  their  unrequited 
labors  to  found  new  and  this  time, 
permanent  homes  in  more  ho>^pitable 
regions,  the  majority  going  to  the 
Mohawk  Valley  where  they  soon  be- 
came prosperous  and  where  their  de- 
scendants are  found  today,  a  sturdy, 
influential  and  intelligent  people. 
Their  patriotic  service  during  the 
Revolution  form  one  of  the  brightest 
chapters  in  the  history  of  the  State. 
The  memory  of  the  grim  old  hero  of 
Oriskany  General  Herkmier,  has  been 
very  recently  honored  with  an  impos- 
ing monument  in  the  village  of  Herk- 
imer. 

A  few  families  rei.^ained  in  the 
Schoharie  Valley,  where  in  spite  of 
spoliation  they  eventually  acquired 
new  homes  and  where  their  descen- 
dants became  potent  factors  in  the 
iiiaterial  development  of  the  State  as 
well  as  in  its  ])olitical  affairs.  Governor 
William  C.  Uouck.  1842-44  was  a  de- 
sscendant  of  one  of  the  Schoharie 
Palatines.  Bishop  Kemper  the  first 
Missionary  Bishop  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church  in  the  United 
States  was  also  of  this  Palatine  stock, 
having  been  born  in  Dutchess  County 
in  1789.  His  sister  married  the  Hon. 
Samuel  Sitgrea\es  of  Easton,  Penna., 
who  was  a  Commissioner  to  England 
under  President  John  Quincy  Adams. 
She  died  in  1879  ^t  the  great  age  of 
one  hundred  and  two  years. 

An  offshoot  consisting  of  thirty- 
three  families  came  to  Pennsylvania 
in  the  spring  of  1723  settling  in  Tul- 
liehncken  Township,  then  Lancaster 
Co.,  about  eighteen  miles  \vest  of 
Reading  and  whose  descendants  still 
own  the  lands  acquired  by  their  refu- 
gee forefathers  from  Schoharie.  The 
famous  Conrad  W'eiser,  the  confiden- 
tial agent  of  the  Penns  and  Indian  in- 
terpreter belonged  to  this  coiiiingent 
though  not  arri\ing  before  1729.  Pie 
settled  at  Womelsdorf  where  lie  died 
in  1760.  One  of  his  daughters  i^ecame 
the    wife    of    the  Rev.  Henrv  Melchoir 


Muhlenberg,  the  "Patriarch  of  the  Lu- 
theran Church  in  America."  Their  eld- 
est son.  Peter,  like  his  father,  a  clergy- 
man, became  celebrated  as  a  fighting 
parson  during  the  Revolution.  At  the 
request  of  Washington  whose  friend- 
ship he  enjoyed,  he  accepted  a  Col- 
onel's commission  in  the  Continental 
Army  and  immediately  preached  his 
farewell  sermon  to  his  congregation  at 
Woodstock,  Virginia,  in  which  he  told 
them  that  there  was  "a  time  to  preach 
and  a  time  to  pray,  but  that  there  was 
also  a  tme  to  fight  and  that  that  time 
had  now  come."  Then  throwing  oft' 
his  gown  he  stood  full  dressed  in  his 
Colonel's  uniform.  Leaving  the  pul- 
pit and  church  he  bade  the  drums  beat 
for  recruits.  More  than  three  hundred 
of  his  congregation  enlisted  at  once 
becoming  part  of  the  "German  Regi- 
ment" the  8th  Virginia  which  marched 
to  the  relief  of  Charleston  S.  C.  where 
it  gained  an  enviable  reputat  on  for 
bravery  and  efficiency.  Muhlenberg's 
statue  adorns  the  rotunda  in  the  Capi- 
tol at  Washington,  a  heroic  figure  in 
the  immortal  company  that  founded 
the  great  Republic. 

The  Palatine  settlement  on  the 
Livingston  Manor  was  the  beginning 
(^f  an  emigration  that  would  eventu- 
ally have  rivalled  that  to  Pennsylvania 
but  for  the  shortsighted  and  tyranni- 
cal conduct  of  Governor  Hunter  and 
the  selfishness  and  cupidity  of  land- 
owners and  speculators.  The  ill  treat- 
ment of  the  Schoharie  settlers  after 
ten  years  occupancy  and  improvement 
of  their  lands  is  set  down  as  a  hind- 
rance and  hurt  to  the  Province  in  a 
letter  to  Auditor  General  W'^alpole  by 
Secretary  George  Clark  in  1722.  He 
says  "the  greatest  part  of  them  have 
purchased  in  Pennsylvania  and  are 
determined  t(j  go  thither,  thus  the 
P.rigadier  (meaning  Governor  tlunt- 
er)is  baulked  and  this  province  de- 
])rived  of  a  good  frontier  of  hardy  and 
laborious  ]:)eople."  Governor  Burnet 
called    them    "a    lal)orious  and  honest 


THE  PALATINES  OF  THE  HUDSON  AND  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY,  N.  Y. 


101 


l)iit  a  headstron^^-  pec)]ile"  yet  all  three 
are  necessar}-  (|ualities  in  the  work  of 
buildins^"  uj)  a  State  for  a  shiftless, 
weak-niiiuled  race  \i^  always  a  failure 
as  a  colonizer. 

New  York  never  rec?vered  fiom  the 
efTects  of  this  ill  treatment  of  the  Pala- 
tines. Peter  Kalm  the  Swedish  travel- 
ler and  naturalist  s])eaking"  of  the  ex- 
odus from  Schoharie  to  Pennsylvania 
says  "Not  satisfied  with  being  them- 
selves removed  from  New  York,  they 
wrote  to  their  friends  and  relatives,  if 
c\cr  they  intended  to  come  to  Ameri- 
ca not  to  g"o  to  New  York."  This  ad- 
vice had  such  influence  that  the  Ger- 
mans who  afterwards  went  in  such 
great  numbers  to  America  constantly 
avoided  New  York  and  went  to  Penn- 
s^dvania.  It  sometimes  haonened  that 
they  were  forced  to  take  ships  bound 
for  New  York,  but  they  were  scarce 
got  on  shore  when  they  hastened  to 
Pennsylvania  in  sight  of  all  the  inhabi- 
tants of  New  York."  The  famous  John 
Jacob  Astor  was  a  Palatine,  and  came 
to  New  York  in  1783  from  Waldorf 
near  the  Rhine. 

Because  of  this  emigration  from 
Germany  now  wholly  diverted  from 
New  York,  Pennsylvania  became  the 
richest,  most  prosperoiis  and  the  sec- 
ond in  |)oint  of  oopulation  of  all  the 
colonies.  Franklin  testifying  in  1766 
before  a  Committee  of  the  House  of 
Commons  said  that  of  the  one  hundred 
and  sixty  thousand  whites  in  the  Prov- 
ince of  Pennsylvania  about  one  third 
were  (iermans  and  characterized  them 
as  "a  people  who  brought  with  them 
the  greatest  of  all  wealth,  industry 
and  integrity,  and  character  that  had 
been  superpoised  and  developed  by 
years   of   suffering   and   persecuti<m." 

The  ill  treatment  of  the  Palatines  in 
New  York  in  ])oint  of  crass  folly  in  its 
c(inse(picnces  has  but  few  parallels  in 
history,  one  instance  being  that  of  the 
refusal  of  Louis  XI\"  of  France  to  per- 
mit the  Iluguenots  of  his  kingdom  to 
settle  in  Canada  or  New  France  as 
they  earnestly  prayed  tliat  they  might 
do,  and  which  in  all  probability,  had 
their  prayer  been  granted,  would  have 


made  North  America,  I^'rench,  instead 
»jf  English  ;  our  civilization  and  politi- 
cal institutions  Latin  instead  of  Anglo 
Saxon.  Another  instance  that  may  be 
cited,  is  that  of  the  expulsion  of  the 
Moors  from  S])ain  by  the  Spaniards. 
In  both  instances  was  this  follv 
grievously  answered  for  in  material 
and  moral  decadence. 

Many  strange  thing.;  happen  in  the 
mad  whirligig  of  Time  :  old  wrongs  are 
forgotten,  fierce  animosities  fade  away, 
new  problems  present  themselves,  a 
common  danger  unites  all  discordani 
elements  and  sections,  changing  old 
foes  into  friends  with  but  one  ambi- 
tion :  that  of  the  general  good.  The 
Revolutionary  War  put  an  end  to  Pro- 
prietary go\'ernment  and  rule  by  Roy- 
al Governors,  wiping  out  the  misrule, 
petty  tyrannies  and  iniquities  that 
l)re\'ailed  in  nearly  a'd  the  Colonies 
welding  into  one  body  politic  the  dis- 
cordant communities  owing  allegiance 
to  England.  The  wrongs  of  the  Pala- 
tines were  avenged  in  the  struggle  for 
Independence  in  whicli  they  bore  a 
noble  part. 

The  settlement  and  development  of 
the  new  born  nation  no  longer  defend- 
ed on  the  caprice  oi"  a  complacent, 
])leasure-loving  monarch,  or  on  the 
private  schemes  for  aggrandisement 
of  Court  favorites.  That  problem  was 
thereafter  to  be  undertaken  and  solved 
l)y  the  people  in  whom  sole  sovereign- 
ity was  now  vested. 

EMIGRATION  FROM   PENNSYLVANIA 
TO  SENECA  COUNTY,  N.  Y. 

( )ne  of  the  first  things  done  by  the 
National  Congress  after  the  close  of 
the  Revolutionary  W  ar  and  also  by 
some  of  the  States,  v>as  the  setting 
aside  of  certain  portions  of  the  public 
lands  for  the  use  of  tlie  of^cers  and 
soldiers  who  had  ser\ed  in  the  Conti- 
nental Army.  It  was  about  the  only 
thing  of  any  value  that  either  the 
Nation  or  the  States  could  give  them, 
for  the  paper  money  with  wlv'ch  the}- 
were  paid,  soon  became  worthless  and 
remains  unredeemetl  to  iliis  dav. 


108 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  State  of  New  York  acquired  by 
treaty  from  the  Onondago  and  Cayuga 
tribes  of  Indians  a  vast  tract  of  land 
containing  1,680,000  acres  which  was 
laid  out  in  1790  and  subsequenMy,  into 
military  townships  containing  each 
one  hundred  lots  of  six  hundred  acres. 
These  were  alloted  to  soldiers  who 
had  served  in  New  York  regiments 
and  were  residents  of  the  State  during 
their  service.  Many  of  the  soldiers 
however,  in  need  of  money  and  dis- 
gustetl  with  the  delay  attending  the 
allotments,  had  already  disposed  of 
their  claims  Avith  the  result  that  but 
very  few  soldiers  ever  became  actual 
settlers  and  the  furthtr  consequence 
that  this  great  body  of  land  in  one  of 
the  most  fertile  and  beautiful  sections 
of  the  State  became  the  property  of 
.speculators. 

The  fame  of  this  rich  domain  soon 
spread  and  by  1810  great  numbers  of 
settlers  had  come  to  it  from  Pennsyl- 
vania, New  Jersey,  Eastern  New  York, 
New  England  and  the  Southern  States 
and  a  few  from  foreign  countries. 

By  far  the  greater  number  of  the 
settlers  from  Penns3'lvania  were  de- 
scendants of  the  old  Palatine  or  Ger- 
man stock,  coming  from  the  Counties 
of  Northumberland,  Lancaster,  Cum- 
berland, Dauphin,  Bucks,  Nt^rthamp- 
ton,  Berks  and  Lehigh.  Very  interest- 
ing to  relate ;  among  the  numbi;r  were 
inany  descendants  of  the  Palatines 
u'ho  came  from  the  Hudson  and 
the  Schoharie  Yalley  to  Pennsylvana 
in  1722.  And  so  after  the  lapse  of 
nearly  a  century  the  old  unfulfilled 
longing  of  their  forefathers  for  homes 
in  the  beautiful  Lake  region  of  New 
York  \\'as  realized  by  their  descen- 
dants and  most  abundantly  were  they 
blessed  in  their  own  homes  while  the 
State  was  enriched  by  their  great  in- 
dustry and  by  a  most  important,  and 
desirable  addition  to  its  pop-dation, 
which  in  after  days  won  for  it  lasting 
fame  by  loyal  and  distinguished  ser- 
vice in  war  and  peace. 

In  Seneca  County  where  the  greater 
number  of  the  Pennsylvania  Germans 
settled   you   will  find  today  many  fam- 


ily names  that  recall  iamiliar  ones  in 
the  Eastern  parts  of  the  Keystone 
State :  such  names  as  Bachman,  Bal- 
liet.  Bear,  ( Baer)  Berger,  Beary, 
( Biery)Burkhalter,  Diehl,  Derr,  Desh- 
ler,  Fatzinger,  Gross,  Hartranft,  Heck- 
man,  Hoffstetter,  Holben,  Hunsicker, 
Jacoby,  Keim,  Kammerer.  Kern,  Kief- 
fer,  Landis,  Lerch,  Lutz,  Mickley, 
Metzger,  Moyer,  Peters,  Rhdad,  Rie- 
gel,  Ritter,  Romich,  Ruch,  Saeger, 
Schneck.  Schwab,  Siegfried  Shoemak- 
er, Stadler,  Trexler,  AN'itmer,  Yost 
and  Zimmer. 

One  of  the  oldest  villages  in  Seneca 
County  and  a  distinctively  Pennsyl- 
vania German  settlement  is  Bearytown 
founded  by  Henry  Beary  (Bieiy)  who 
went  from  what  is  now  Catasauqua  in 
Lehigh  County,  then  known  as  Bierys- 
port,  soon  after  the  year  1800.  He  was 
followed  some  years  later  by  his  broth- 
er Jacob,  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812  a 
member  of  the  company  of  Dragoons, 
said  to  be  the  oldest  cavalry  organiza- 
tion in  Pennsylvania,  comma^ided  by 
Captain  Peter  Ruch,  aiterwards  Brig- 
adier General  of  the  State  Mililia.  The 
wife  of  Henry  Beary  was  a  sister  of 
Captain  Ruch.  StateTreasurer  John  O. 
Sheatz  is  a  great-grand  son  of  Salome 
Biery.  a  sister  of  Henry  Beary  and  the 
wife  of  Peter  Mickley  of  Wh'te  Hall 
Township,    Lehigh    County. 

The  Bierys  were  of  soldierlv  Swiss 
stock  from  the  Canton  of  Berne  who 
settled  in  Berks  County  in  1739.  Col. 
Charles  Beary  Gambee,  a  grand  son  of 
Henry  Beary,  born  in  Seneca  County, 
New  York  was  one  of  many  sons  of  the 
old  Pennsylvania  families  in  New 
York  State  who  rallied  to  the  defence 
of  the  Union  on  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  War.  He  was  the  Colonel  of  the 
55th  Ohio  Regiment  of  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  second  in  command  of 
his  Brigade,  in  the  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland in  the  Atlanta  Campaign.  He 
was  killed  while  leading  his  regiment 
at  the  Battle  (»f  Resaca  in  which  so 
many  Pennsylvanians  participated, 
among  them  the  gallant  Geary..  Gener- 
al Wood  his  commanding  officer  in 
his    ofKicial    Report   of   the  Bati  le  paid 


THR  PALATINES  OP  THE  HUDSON  AND  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY,  N.  Y. 


109 


the  highest  tribute  to  the  character  and 
military  abihty  of  Colonel  Cjaml)ee 
concluding'  with  this  fervent  j)rayer : 
"May  his  name  be  cherished  and  his 
memory  preserved  so  long-  as  bravery, 
loyalty,  and  patriotism  are  regarded 
as  \-irtues  among  men." 

A  friendly  intercourse  was  kept  up 
for  many  years  between  the  Seneca 
County  settlers  and  their  kinsfolk  in 
Pennsylvania  on  whom  they  were 
dependent  in  xarious  ways.  Tliis  was 
shown  in  one  notable  instance,  when 
the  need  of  religious  services  in  their 
new  homes  began  to  be  felt.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  German  Reformed  Congre- 
gation organized  in  the  Town  of  Fay- 
ette delegated  Henry  Beary  to  visit  his 
old  home  in  Lehigh  County,  I'cnnsyl- 
vania  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the 
services  of  a  pastor  to  minister  to  their 
spiritual  wants.  This  visit  resubed  in  a 
call  being  extended  to  the  Rev.  Died- 
rich  Willers.  a  young  minister  who 
had  just  been  ordained  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Christian  Becker,  a  famous  divine  of 
the  olden  time  in  Lehigh  and  Nor- 
thampton   Counties. 

On  the  return  trip  to  Seneca  County. 
Henry  Bear}^  was  accompanied  by  the 
young  minister  who  was  installed  as 
pastor  of  the  church  at  Bearystown 
and  which  with  churches  in  the  adjoin- 
ing settlements  he  served  faithfully 
for  over  sixty  years  resigning  on  Janu- 
ary ist.  1882,  by  reason  01  the  infirmi- 
ties of  old  age.  His  son,  the  Hon.  Died- 
richW  illers.  jr.,  served  as  Private  Sec- 
retary to  Governor  Horatio  Seymour 
in  1864  and  subsequently  for  eight 
years  as  Deputy  Secretary  of  State  and 
two  years  as  Secretary  of  State  to 
which  office  he  was  elected  at  the  State 
Election  in  November  1873.  He  after- 
wards served  in  the  Legislature  as  a 
member  of  Asseml)ly.  ]^Ir.  'x\'illers 
died   during  the   past   summer- 

The  friendship  formed  between 
Henry  Beary  and  young  Willers  on 
their  journey  to  Seneca  County  was 
cemented  by  a  closer  tie  in  the  next 
generation  by  the  marriage  of  Henry 
Deary's  grandson  to  the  daughter  of 
the  then  Rev.  Dr.  \^'illers. 


Anothvr  faithful  pastor  in  the  Seneca 
Lake  Country  was  the  Rev.  Joseph  B. 
Gross,  a  Lutheran  clergyman  born  in 
.Vorthampton  County  and  brother  of 
the  famous  Professor  Samuel  D. 
(iross  known  throughout  the  world  as 
the  "1^'ather  of  American   Surgery." 

Many  more  instances  of  like  charac- 
ter could  be  given  to  show  how 
worthily  these  transplanted  Pennsyl- 
vania Germans  preserved  the  best  tra- 
ditions of  their  race  and  emulated  all 
the  acti\ities  of  their  lives  the  high- 
est achieveiuents  of  their  forefathers 
and  kinsmen  in  Pennsylvania.  Enough 
have  been  given  to  demonstrate  the 
incalcuable  loss  to  New  York  in  pop- 
ulation, material  wealth,  and  in  moral 
fibre,  the  most  valuable  asset  of  a 
state,  entailed  by  the  tyranny  atid  stu- 
])idity  of  Governor  Hunter  and  his 
successors     when     he     subjected     the. 

Palatines  of  Livingston-Manor  and 
Schoharie  to  nameless  indignities  and 
intolerable  oppression  and  injustice, 
for  the  tens  of  thousands  who  there- 
after went  to  Pennsylvania  from  Ger- 
many and  Switzerland  would  as  glad- 
ly have  settled  in  the  fertile  valleys  of 
Xew  York  had  they  been  shovvn  the 
same  consideration  the}'  received  at 
the  hands  of  the  Penns  and  would 
ha\e  labored  as  mightily  to  develop 
its  resources  as  they  did  to  build  up 
the  great  industries  and  institutions  of 
Pennsyhania.  Governor  Hunter  "like 
ihe  liase  Indian,  threw  away  a  pearl, 
richer  than  all  his  tribe"  when  he 
attempted  to  enslaxe  the  Palatines  of 
his  l^roxince. 

"  Let  us  in  our  unventiiroiiS  ease,  supine. 
Spare  those  a  thought  who  met  the  time's 

demand, 
Ploughed     these     unwilling     plains,     these 

woodlands    cleared. 
The  sons  of  God  because  the  sons  of  Toil: 
Who     in     this     wilderness     their     temples 

reared. 
But  knew  no  shrine  more  sacred  than  their 

soil. 


When  tyranny  this  freeman  breed  defied. 
Through    the    hot  lips  of  merciless  canuoQ 
they  replied." 


110 


How  to  Search  for  Historical  Material 


The  Object  of  a  Local  Historical  Society 

^  (The  following  paper,  read  before  the 
Bucks  County  Historical  Society  \pril  21, 
1885,  by  Henry  C.  Michener,  of  Philadel- 
phia, Pa.  (see  Collection  of  Papers,  Vol  I, 
p.  297,  Bucks  Co.  H.  S.)  is  suggescive  and 
should  induce  our  readers  to  keep  an  eye 
open  for  odds  and  ends  lying  around  on 
garrets,  in  old  chests  and  in  out-of-the- 
way  places.  Save  the  "  crumbs "  that 
nothing  be  lost  and  see  to  it  that  in  some 
way  such  material  is  preserved  from  de- 
struction for  the  use  of  historians.  Don't 
destroy  German  MSS  because  you  cannot 
read  them.  Some  other  people  can  read 
rhem  and  may  find  them  very  valuable. 
Editor.) 

A  famotis  English  writer  says :  "The 
true  historian  must  see  ordinary  men 
as  they  appear  in  their  ordinary  busi- 
ness and  in  their  ordinary  pleasures. 
He  must  obtain  admittance  to  the  con- 
vivial table  and  the  domestic  hearth. 
He  must  bear  with  vulgar  expressions. 
He  must  not  shrink  from  exploring 
even  the  retreats  of  misery.  He  con- 
siders no  anecdote,  no  peculiarity  of 
manner,  no  familiar  saying,  as  too  in- 
significant to  ilkistrate  the  operation 
of  laws,  of  religion  and  of  education, 
and  to  mark  the  prog'ress  of  the  hu- 
man mind.  Men  will  not  merely  be 
described,  but  will  be  made  intimate- 
ly known  to  us" 

This  extract  suggests  to  us  some  of 
the  aims,  purposes  and  objects  of  a 
local  historical  society,  and  points  out 
the  appropriate  field  of  its  operations. 

To  those  who  regard  history  as  a 
mere  recital  of  fierce  encounters  be- 
tween men  at  arms,  an  idea  which  ran 
through  all  the  old  histories  before 
the  modern  school  represented  by  Mac- 
auley,  Froude,  Green,  Motley,  Ban- 
croft and  Prescott,  a  local  field  like  the 
county  of  Bucks  is  exceedingly  bar- 
ren and  unpromising.  But  to  those 
wdiose  vision  extends  to  a  farther  hor- 
izon who  can  discov^er  a  contribution 
to  the  g-rand  total  of  our  knowledge  of 
the  past  in  anything,  and  everything, 
that  throws  a  backward  ray  upon  the 
habits,   customs,   pursuits,   appearance. 


conduct  and  amusements  of  the  people 
who  gathered  here  from  the  ends  of 
the  earth  in  former  years,  there  is 
abundant  material  near  at  hand  to 
construct  a  narrative  which  a  century 
hence  may  be  priceless. 

Much  has  been  said  and  written 
from  time  to  time  concerning  the 
heroic  period  of  our  history,  our  age 
of  iron  and  of  oak —  the  Revolution- 
ary era.  The  houses  where  the  gen- 
erals stopped  from  time  to  time  are 
almost  as  well  known  as  the  habita- 
tion of  our  neighbors,  and  the  track 
of  the  Revolutionary  army  has  been 
repeatedly  traced  across  our  territory. 
Little  remains  to  be  done  to  locate  the 
places  associated  with  the  events  of 
that  day.  The  Revolutionary  age  has 
occupied  so  large  a  place  in  our  an- 
nals that  the  chief  interest  in  our  past 
begins  and  ends  with  it.  It  over- 
shadows and  dwarfs  the  eiitire  cen- 
tury which  preceded  it.  Thousands 
of  men  and  women  were  born,  lived 
the  allotted  span,  died  and  were  bur- 
ied in  these  hillsides  long  before  the 
struggle  with  England  began.  These 
people  had  their  peonliar  pursuits, 
callings,  modes  of  life,  dress  and  lan- 
guage, and  extracted  as  much  out  of 
life  from  the  opportunities  afforded  as 
any  of  us.  In  'many  respects,  from 
sotirces  of  information  which  it  is  the 
business  of  a  local  historical  society  to 
collect  and  preserve,  it  is  possible  to 
photograph  these  people  to  show  what 
garb  they  wt^re.  Avhat  their  clothing 
cost,  what  they  ate,  how  they  traveled, 
what  their  wealth  consisted  of,  the 
utensils  of  field,  shop  and  kitchen,  the 
furniture  in  use,  the  cost  of  living  and 
to  exhibit  all  the  leading",  and  most  of 
the  minute,  features  of  the  colonial  life 
in  Bucks  county  for  ninety  years  be- 
fore the  Revolution.  The  elements  out 
of  which  this  vivid  picture  of  old  life  is 
to  be  constructed  are  in  existence,  but 
perhaps    not    immeidately    accessible. 


HOW  TO  SEARCH  FOR  HISTORICAL  MATERIAL 


111 


They  are  scattered  about  in  old 
attics,  lumber  rooms,  and  dust-cover- 
ed receptacles.  It  is  one  of  the  func- 
tions of  a  local  society  to  gather  to- 
t^ether  these  mute  witnesses,  to  digest 
the  information  they  contain,  and 
hand  it  down  to  our  successors.  Old 
account  books  show  th(J  rate  of  wages, 
the  prices  of  articles  bought  and  sold. 
Inventories  exhibit  the  names  of  arti- 
cles of  personal  property  and  their  val- 
ue as  fixed  by  sworn  appraisers.  An- 
«:ient  store  books  set  forth  the  mer- 
chandise in  common  use,  and  ail  have 
a  direct  and  positive  value  in  aiding  us 
to  form  just  and  accurate  conceptions 
of  the  old  modes  of  living. 

Robert  Archibald,  a  merchant  who 
died  in  I'ristol  in  1734,  had  in  stock  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  shalloon,  silk 
liandkerchiefs.  leather  ink-horns,  brass 
buttons.  brass  finger  rings,  horn 
combs,  sealing  wax.  shoe  buckles,  mo- 
hair, fans,  flints,  tobacco  pipes,  tank- 
ards and  punch  bowls,  porringers, 
gunpowder.  Another  store  stock,  that 
of  Charles  Brown,  a  resident  of  Make- 
field  in  1748.  shows  that  there  was  a 
demand  then  for  snufif  boxes,  ink  cas- 
es, silver  studs,  red  ink  powder,  quills, 
irons  for  making"  rope,  and  tooth 
pullers.  If  all  other  sources  of  informa- 
tion were  cut  oiT,  and  all  traditions 
destroyed,  these  old  papers  would 
suggest  enough  to  frame  a  truthful, 
minute  and  graphic  narrative  of  the 
social  condition  of  colonial  Bucks.  The 
furniture  in  the  old  houses  is  re- 
corded, and  the  room  in  which  the 
articles  were  located,  giving  us  an 
inkling  of  domestic  habits.  Thus  in 
prodding  about  in  these  begrimed  and 
(lust-laden  remains  1  find  that  bee  cul- 
ture was  a  common  pursuit.  Swarms 
of  bees  are  often  named  among  the 
humble  possessions  of  these  primitive 
folk.  Oxen  were  very  much  more  fre- 
quently used  in  the  past  era  than  now. 
In  our  day  a  yoke  for  farm  purposes 
is  a  novelty.  Many  young  oersons 
have  ne\  er  seen  a  yoke  of  oxen  pursu- 
ing their  melancholy  and  deliberate 
journey.  In  the  census  of  1880  only 
t\v<»  working  oxen  owned  on  farms  are 


credited  to  Bucks  county.  Sleighs 
were  an  infrequent  luxury.  Iron-bound 
wagons  were  in  use  in  1744,  but  it  is  a 
rather  rare  item.  Among  the  curious 
revelations  which  the  inspection  of 
these  records  brings  to  light  is  negro 
slavery.  The  fanciful  names  g'.ven  t(» 
the  old  household  slaves  are  nt)vel  fea- 
tures of  the  old  life.  Thomas  Biles, 
who  died  in  1733.  in  Falls,  left  among 
his  earthly  effects  a  negro  called 
"London"  worth  $500.00  and  a  negro 
girl  whom  he  called  "Parthenia." 
worth  $625.00.  John  Burch,  cmother 
Bristol  merchant  of  1740,  was  the 
happy  possessor  of  five  volumes,  of  the 
"Spectator."  a  set  of  leather  chairs,  a 
negro  man  named  "Boy,"  one  named 
"Bridge,"  and  another  named 
'"Squash."  Elizabeth  Badgley,  also  a 
resident  of  Bristol,  who  departed  in 
1729.  left  as  a  portion  of  her  estate  a 
negro  woman  and  a  book  called  the 
"New  England  Fire  Brand."  Silver 
watches  were  quite  common,  but  no 
gold  ones ;  prayer  books  occasionally 
appear  as  a  reminder  that  there  were 
among  the  first  comers  some  members 
of  the  old  Church  of  England.  From 
the  earliest  times  nearly  everybody 
seems  to  have  owned  a  "looking 
glass."  or  seeing  glass  as  it  is  some- 
times called  ;  nothing  is  noted  oftener 
than  this  minister  to  human  vanity. 
To  see  ourselves  as  others  see  us  has 
been  the  innocent  desire  of  men  and 
women  of  every  age.  A  thin  streak  of 
worldly  pride  runs  through  the  con- 
stitution of  the  wisest  and  the  best- 
No  better  index  to  the  qua'ut  cos- 
tumes of  the  departed  century  can  be 
found  than  almost  any  of  the  ancient 
in\entories.  From  material  contained 
there  the  a])pearance  of  the  colonial 
citizen  could  be  sharply  pictu.red.  as 
far  as  it  is  possible  to  reproduce  him 
merely  by  the  garments  he  wore-  It  is 
sufificienl  for  illustration  to  give  a  sin- 
gle instance.  Conrad  Leiser  died  in 
Warwick,  in  1778.  His  ])ersonal  appar- 
el consisted  of  a  fine  hat.  a  scarlet 
colored  velvet  jacket,  blue  velvet 
breeches,  and  a  blue  cloth  great  coat. 
That    he    was   a  soldier  of  the  Revolu- 


112 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


tion  is  shown  by  the  item  of  "a  one- 
lialf  interest  of  a  wagon,  horses  and 
gears,  now  with  the  Continental 
armies,  also  pay  from  the  twenty-first 
of  May,  last."  Although  the  dress  of 
the  Colonists  was  in  the  main  exceed- 
ingly plain  and  home-spun,  there  were 
occasional  exceptions.  Parson  Lind- 
sey,  as  he  was  called,  a  clergyman, 
who  died  in  Hensalem,  in  1778.  worth 
over  $20,000  in  i)ersonal  property,  a 
very  large  estate  in  that  day,  owned 
among  other  things  a  good  beaver  hat, 
inventoried  at  $fiO. 

In  further  illustration  of  the  value 
of  out  of  the  way  and  seemingly  triv- 
ial sources  of  historical  information, 
the  old  browned  and  mildewed  news- 
])aper  is  not  to  be  despised,  particular- 
ly that  much  neglected  department,' 
the  advertising  column.  These  adver- 
tisements have  much  significance  be- 
cause they  come  fresh  from  the  people 
themselves.  Thus  in  some  of  the  stray 
numbers  of  the  old  Pennsylvania 
(  iazette.  of  1752,  1  find  the  quaint  ad- 
\  ertisements  of  the  ancient  Philadel- 
phia inns  where  the  farmer  of  a  cen- 
tury and  a  half  ago  received  hospitali- 
ty on  the  market  days :  "The  Square 
and  Compass,"  "The  Trumpet,''  "The 
Wanderer,"  The  Queen  of  Hungary," 
"The  Cross  Cut  Saw,"  on  Second 
street.  "The  Hand  Saw"  also  on  Sec- 
ond street  near  lUack  Horse  alley, 
"The  I>ird  and  Snow,"  "The  ]\[ortar 
and  Dove."  In  the  same  sheet,  under 
date  of  1750,  there  is  an  advertisement 
^vhich  exhibits  the  various  articles  of 
costume  worn  in  Bticks  county:  "Ran 
away  from  the  subscriber  of  Falls 
township  a  lust}'  yoimg  negro  fellow 
named  Frank.  Took  with  him  some 
clothes,  such  as  a  striped  jacket  and 
l^reeches,  white  shirts  and  white  stock- 
ings, a  light-colored  frock  coat  lined 
with  green,  white  metal  buttons,  blue 
camlet  breeches  and  a  large  pair  of 
carved  buckles-"  In  the  same  paper  is 
a  curious  account  of  tlie  robbery  of  the 
house  of  Benjamin  Franklin.  The  list 
of  goods  stolen  shows  the  articles  of 
ai^parel  among  the  well-to-do  orders 
of  the  po])ulation   of  the  period.     The 


articles  were  "a  double  neck-'ace  of 
gold  beads,  a  woman's  long  scarlet 
cloak  with  a  double  cape,  a  woman's 
gown  of  printed  cotton  of  the  sort 
called  brocade  point,  the  ground  dark 
with  large  red  roses  and  large  red  and 
yellow  flowers,  a  pair  of  woman's 
stays  covered   with   white  tabby." 

These  minute  details  are  commonly 
recorded  as  beneath  the  dignity  of  his- 
tory, yet  they  frequently  throw  a 
broad  beam  on  the  simple  facts  of 
former  lives  and  show  what  our  fore- 
fathers and  foremothers  were  about  in 
the  humdrum  of  every-day  business. 
The  old  newspapers  reflect,  too,  the 
laxity  of  public  morals  in  certain  dir- 
ections. Then,  as  now,  inventive 
genius  was  busy  working  out  the  an- 
cient seductive  problem— that  old,  old 
idea  of  getting  something  for  nothing. 
One  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  in 
])lain.  plodding  Pennsylvania,  it  took 
the  form  of  the  lottery  scheme.  The 
])ritici|)le  which  is  now  indirectly  fos- 
tered in  the  Church-fair  grab-bag,  the 
prize  cofifee  package,  and  the  "obacco 
plug  that  conceals  a  gold  dollar,  then 
found  expression  in  the  downright 
out-and-out  lottery,  managed  by  the 
best  men  of  the  vicinage.  Tiie  old 
sheets  are  full  of  ])ersuasive  promises 
of  sudden  wealth.  Many  of  these 
schemes  were  enterprises  to  assist  in 
the  erection  of  churches  and  other  re- 
ligious objects.  In  the  Pennsylvania 
Gazette  of  Jime  22,  1751.  there  is  an 
announcement  of  a  lottery  for  raising 
four  thousand  pounds,  $20,000.  if  ex- 
pressed in  present  money,  for  the 
building  of  a  church  in  Trenton  as  it 
was  then  called.  This  drawing  was 
ad\ertised  to  take  place  at  the  house 
of  ?\athaniel  Parker,  in  Bucks  cciunty- 
Another  field  of  operations  for  such 
a  society  is  the  ])reservation  of  genea- 
logical data.  A  record  of  marriages, 
deaths  and  births  should  be  kept. 
^^'ithout  the  mandate  of  the  law  such 
matters  would  be  reported  to  the 
society.  It,  therefore,  should  be  made 
the  duty  of  some  member  to  preserve 
this  material  from  the  resources  at  his 
command.         ?\larriages      and      deaths 


HOW  TO  SEARCH   FOR  HISTORICAL  MATERIAL 


113 


could  1)c  recorded  with  a  near  ap- 
j^roach  to  fidelity  from  slips  regular- 
ly taken  from  the  county  papers,  al- 
phabetically arranged.  The  Montgom- 
ery society  has  already  taken  steps 
to  this  end.  The  immediate  value  of 
such  a  record  would  not  be  apparent, 
I)Ut  the  society  is  working  for  poster- 
ity, and  such  a  record,  if  faithfully 
carried  forward,  would  in  due  time 
become  a  valuable  aid  in  genealogical 
investigations.  A  coj^y  of  all  the 
jjrinted  genealogies  of  Bucks  county 
families  should  be  deposited  in  the 
society's  archives,  as  well  as  copies  of 
records  of  Monthly  ^leetings.  or  other 
records  which  assist  in  tracing  ances- 
try. 

No  community  with  any  pretensions 
to  intelligence  will  neglect  the  mater- 
ials of  its  history.  Every  scrap  of  in- 
formation which  adds  in  the  slighest 
<legree  to  the  sum  of  our  knowledge 
nf  former  times  is  worth  preserving. 
A  man  with  a  keen  scent  of  h'^orical 
data,  if  turned  loose  to-day  in  many 
an  attic  in  Plumstead,  would  exhume 
enough  to  keep  him  busy  for  a  long 
lime.  It  is  this  attention  to  what  the 
old  school  of  historians  regarded  as 
trifles  light  as  air,  which  constitutes 
the  charm  of  F"roude.  Macauley,  and 
Green.  They  ha\e  much  to  say  about 
the  great  crisis  in  the  fate  of  England, 
but  they  do  not  omit  to  tell  us  all  they 
know  about  the  people  of  England  in 
every  relation.  \\>  talk  with  them, 
sup  with  them,  work  with  them  in  the 
fields  and  with  them  dash  over  the 
moors  with  the  hounds.  We  go  down 
to  London  and  see  it  as  the  Londoner 
of  old-time  himself  saw  it — -a  ith  its 
streets  unlighted.  the  water  dashing 
on  the  i)assenger  from  the  house-tops. 
We  hear  the  night  watch  calling  the 
hour.  We  wade  to  the  knees  in  the 
mud  ui  the  streets  and  hear  the  carter 
swearing  at  the  tugging  horses.  The 
popular  historian  of  our  day  is  the 
chronicler  of  the  little  things  which 
make    i\\)    the    complex    things  ne  call 


society  at  any  given  period.  These 
trivial  matters  were  mere  dust  in  the 
balance  before  history  became  a 
science.  Under  the  Wizard  tcnich  of 
the  true  historian  wdio  knows  to  mold 
his  clay,  these  insignificant  things, 
formerly  i)assed  by  as  too  gross  and 
\ulgar  to  record,  are  made  chief 
stones  in  the  fair  edifice  they  have 
built  to  the  memory  of  the  departed 
ages. 

It  is  a  matter  of  congratulation  that 
attentive  audiences  are  willmg  to 
come  together  frequently  in  different 
parts  of  the  country  to  listen  to  histor- 
ical sketches,  to  hear  all  that  may  be 
said  upon  the  subjects  which  appeal 
only  to  the  veneration  felt  for  the  fad- 
ing past,  out  of  which  we  all  sprang 
and  into  which  we  shall  sink.  Every 
man  who  is  loyal  to  his  race  has  some 
interest  in  ancestry  and  the  circum- 
stances which  surrounded  their  lives. 
We  all  in  some  degree  feel  the  historic 
sense  and  own  the  spell  which  links 
us  to  other  days.  The  noblest  spirits 
have  acknowledged  this  feeling.  Thou- 
sands of  our  ancestors  lived  their  al- 
lotment of  years,  did  nothing  that 
made  their  lives  memorable  beyond 
the  daily  duty  and  then  dropped  out 
of  sight.  Of  this  average  life  of  ordi- 
nary men  and  women  in  former  times 
little  is  said  in  the  books.  It  is  pos- 
sible to  read  many  pages  of  history,  as 
it  was  once  written,  and  still  know 
little  of  what  we  most  desire  to  know 
of  thc^se  who  have  gone  before-  Much 
is  said  about  certain  great  names 
thrown  on  the  surface  of  affairs  in 
political  convulsions,  but  of  the  people 
themselves,  of  the  vast  masses  of  the 
common  peojile.  of  their  joys  and  sor- 
rows, their  ])leasure  and  pain,  their 
work  and  play,  how  meagre,  crude 
and  inade(|uate  is  the  story? 

"How  small  of  all  that  human  hearts  en- 
dure 

That  part  which  kings  or  laws  can  tause  or 
cure." 


114 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


It  is  the  province  of  these  local 
societies  to  go  down  to  these  details 
of  ancestral  life  which  have  formed 
the  back-ground  to  the  great  events 
which  all  men  know,  to  levy  contribu- 
tions upon  every  source  of  iriforma- 
mation,  so  that  it  may  be  possible  to 


reproduce  the  old  ways,  habits,  man- 
ners and  tone  of  life,  contrast  it  with 
the  average  levels  of  our  own  day, 
and  determine  how  far  we  have  jour- 
neyed on  the  road  to  the  regained 
Eden. 


To  the  Memory  of  Henry  A.  Schuler 

By  Prof.  Arcadius  Avellanus,  Middletown,  Conn. 


d 

J 

w 

UST  about  within  a  day 
before  the  anniversary  of 
the  death  of  Mr.  H.  A. 
Schuler,  the  14th  of  Jan- 
uary, have  I  recei\  ed  the 
first  intimation  of  that 
very  sad  event,  and  it 
has  touched  me  ver}" 
deeply.  For.  although,  I  was  not  an 
intimate  friend  of  his,  still,  we  were 
acquainted  for  several  years;  and  Mr. 
Schuler,  whenever  he  chanced  to  come 
to  Philadelphia,  where  I  was  then  liv- 
ing, would  always  call  and  spend  half 
an  hour  with  me,  talking  over  matters 
in  which  we  both  were  so  much  inter- 
ested, the  affairs  and  the  destinies  of 
the   Latin   language. 

Our  relations  were  purely  literary, 
but  of  the  character,  in  Avhich.  I  ven- 
ture to  say,  he  was  more  profoundly 
interested  than  in  anything,  excepting, 
l)erha;)s.  his  immediate  family  affairs, 
and  his  living. 

1  had  started  in  said  city,  189^,  a  lit- 
tle Latin  magazine,  the  TVSCVLVAL 
for  the  propagation  of  a  practical  and 
useful  knowledge  of  the  Latin  lan- 
guage, for  I  had  made  the  experience 
that  professional  people  "in  this  coun- 
try knew  very  little,  and  a  shabby 
kind  of  Latin,  and  the  numerous 
schools  were  not  al)le  to  furnish  a  ser- 
viceable kind.  cri]jpling  thereby  the 
efficiency  of  all  people  in  the  learned 
l)rofessions.  The  next  year  following, 
T  started  another  small  periodical,  the 
PRAF.CO  LATIN VS,  to  fight  for 
those  principles.  Looking  back  into 
in\'  records,  I  find  Mr.  Schider's  name 


first  entered  as  a  subscriber  on  Oct. 
5th,  1895,  for  one  periodical,  and,  on 
Xov.  16  1896,  for  the  other.  He  furn- 
ished printed  and  gummed  labels 
bearing  his  name  and  address,  making 
his  name  very  conspicuous  on  the  list. 
In  matter  of  payment  he  was  more 
than  punctual.  Neither  was  his  name 
ever  dro]iped  up  to  the  last,  Sept.. 
1902,  when  PRAECO  LATINUS  was 
discontinued. 

As  the  Editor  of  the  Welt  Bote,  he 
often  referred  to  my  work,  staunchly 
supporting  the  principles  proclaimed 
by  me,  that  Latin  must  be  restored  to 
its  rightful  ]K)sition  as  a  universal 
language  of  scholarly  people  the 
world  o\-er,  as  it  used  to  be  for  2,000 
years,  instead  of  attempting  to  devise 
clumsy  makeshifts,  called  artificial 
languages ;  that,  smce  it  was  taught  in 
all  secondare'  schools  in  all  the  civil- 
ized countries,  there  is  nothing  mc^re 
needed  than  to  adopt  colloquial  meth- 
ods, and  the  teachers  should  qualify 
themsehes  b}-  summer  courses  in 
s')oken  Latin.  He  used  to  point  out 
that  tlie  present  methods  disgust  the 
students,  parents  and  the  better  teach- 
ers alike  ;  that  the  ethical,  literary  and 
didactical  treasures  (^f  the  immortal 
autliors  are  being  sacrificed  to  philo- 
logical drudgery,  and  in  the  end  the 
students  have  accpiired  neither  Latin, 
nor  mental,  ethical,  and  literary  cul- 
ture, nor  anything  practical  that 
would  imj^rove  the  professional  man. 
and  human  s(KMety  at  large.  He  would 
can\ass  i)ersonally ;  and  in  one  in- 
stance he  succeeded  in  interesting  the 


TO  THE  MEMOIIY  OF  HENRY  A.  SCHULER 


115 


Latin  facility  of  Miilenberg  College, 
and  secured  12  subscribers  for  tlie 
Latin  periodical. 

Moreover,  he  Avas  not  only  a  good 
subscriber  and  periodical-propagan- 
dist he  was  also  a  steady  and  very  de- 
sirable contributor  to  the  columns  of 
Praeco  Latinus.  He  used  to  trans- 
late h}'nins,  sliort  poems,  or  other 
matter  for  the  periodical,  and  later  on 
he  started  a  serial  of  moral  and  ethi- 
cal tales,  calling  them  Fabellae  Ethi- 
cae,  which  he  continued  to  the  very 
last.  In  our  last  issue  we  published 
one  luidcr  the  ca])tion,  Historia  Sanc- 
tae  Euphrosinae:  scripsit  Anatole 
France;  Latine  vertit  H.  A.  S.  (for 
he  ne\-er  signed  his  full  name  under 
any  article  or  contribution.)  It  is  a 
pity  that  we  did  not  com])lete  the 
stor}".  the  periodical  l^eing  discon- 
tinued with   that  number. 

Many  of  our  readers  both  at  home 
and  in  foreign  countries  would  fre- 
c|uently  inquire  by  letters  concerning 
the  identity  of  H."'  A.  S.,  all  well  lik- 
ing his  gentle  style  and  contributions, 
which  were  in  ver}'  clear,  simple 
Latin,  easily  read  by  even  a  beginner, 
and  seldom  recjuiring  the  blue  pencil, 
and  externally  too.  all  were  written  in 
neat  and  careful  hand  on  fine  note 
paper;  therefore  I  thought  best  to 
publish  this  portrait  with  a  brief  sketch 
of  tlu'  faxorite  writer.  This  I  did.  I 
ex])lained  to  our  readers  the  nearly 
unbelievable  career  he  has  made  in 
studying  Latin  almost  without  books 
and  teachers.  It  certainly  was  a  fact, 
that  he  did  not  have  clear  conceptions 
on  man\-  an  elementary  matter,  even 
such  as  ])ronunciation.  until  he  got 
hold  of  my  collocpiial  manuals.  These 
opened  his  eyes.  lUit  particularly 
was  he  delighted  with  my  easy  and 
lively  manner  that  I  would  hit  back  at 
I'rench.  S])anish.  Catalan.  Italian  and 
other  ]>erodicals.  their  editors,  our 
critics.  (.K:c..  who.  either  in  the  meshes 
of       foolish       "world-languages."       or 


blinded  by  School  -  Ciceronianism. 
knew  nothing  of  fluent  Latin,  would 
assail  us.  Then  1  would  pour  out  a 
volley  of  information  mixed  with  rid- 
icule, for  the  great  delight  of  my 
readers  and  disci])les.  Such  occasions 
were  veritable  treats  for  our  noble- 
minded   friend,   Mr.    .Sdiuler. 

(  )n  one  occasion  1  printed  a  ioke  at 
Mr.  Schuler's  expense,  saying  that  he 
learned  Latin  to  pronounce  like  the 
following:  Tojs  nopis  hec  otzia  fett- 
zit.  l-'or  quite  a  time  he  covdd  not 
make  out  what  I  meant.  In  another 
issue  I  ridiculed  the  "English  Meth- 
od" writing  Tityri  tyu  patchuli 
recjubans  sab  tigmini  fedshaj ;  he 
at  once  understood  the  reference, 
and  wrote  to  me  good  naturedly  that 
he  did  not  learn  that  i)ronunication  I 
had  attributed  to  him.  but  the  Eng- 
lish pronunciation,  b}'  which  h.e  used 
to  say:  oshiae  feesit.  At  that  time  he 
was  already  solid  on  (Uir  Imperial 
Roman  j)ronunciation,  which  I  have 
been  propagating,  and  which  I  still 
maintain  in  m\'  i)resent  publication  of 
the    PALAESTRA. 

Whilst  Mr.  Schuler  was  at  a  disad- 
\antage  owing  to  his  early  lack  of 
opixirtunities  when  most  needed,  and 
under  thtise  disadvantages  he  could 
not  develop  into  a  courageous,  dash- 
ing young  man.  a  would-be  Napoleon; 
still.  I  am  of  the  o])inion  that,  had  he 
not  been  bi)rn  a  genius,  he  could  never 
ha\e  emerged  to  the  level  of  mental 
and  moral  culture,  that  opened  the 
way  for  him  to  literary  fame  aad  rep- 
utation, far  beyond  the  limits  and 
boundaries  of  this  geographically 
great  country;  he  would  have  remain- 
ed on  the  level  of  ordinary  farmers 
and  laborers  or  mechanics.  He  was, 
in  my  o])inion.  a  dwarfed  X'apoleon,  if 
not  with  the  sword,  with  his  literarv 
and  humane  talents. 

May  his  memory  be  cherish.ed  and 
ma\-  it   ]i\e  while  letters  last. 


116 


Hans  Herr  and  His  Descendants 


]\I  O  N  G  the  noteworthy 
books  issued  during  1908 
is  Theodore  W.  Herr's 
Genealogical  Record  of 
Rev.  Hans  Herr  and  His 
Lineal  Descendants. 
This  is  an  illustrated 
book  of  785  pages,  7x9 
inches,  substantially  bound  in  dark 
green  buckram.  The  book  (price 
$10,00)  may  be  ordered  of  the  compil- 
er and  publisher,  Theodoie  W.  Herr, 
Lancaster,  Pa.  The  Daily  New  Era 
said  about  the  book,  'Tt  is  difficult  to 
reaHze  the  amount  of  wide  and  pains- 
taking research  in  a  hundred  localities, 
coverng  many  States,  required  to 
collect  the  names,  facts  and  figures 
here  gathered,  arranged  and  indexed. 
What  is  more,  it  has  been,  as  all  such 
work  generall}'  is,  a  labor  of  love,  as 
no  adequate  recompense  ever  rewards 
the  laborious  research  of  the  author." 

A  prominent  historian  in  an  article 
on  The  Pennsylvania-Dutch  says: — 
"Some  of  the  children  of  Pennsylva- 
iiia-Dutch  families  find  their  way  into 
the  great  world  at  last.  (See  THE 
PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  V  o  1. 
VII 1,  p.  540.)  This  book  is  evidence 
that  the  sons  of  the  sturdy  German 
l^ioneers  have  g(^ne  forth  into  all  the 
world,  that  they  are  not  localized  nor 
tied  to  the  maternal  proverbial  apron 
strings. 

We  would  greatly  appreciate  a 
pa])er  by  the  author  on  "Illbstrious 
Sons  of  Hans  Herr"  giving  biograph- 
ical notes  of  those  who  rose  to  posi- 
tions of  public  trust  and  honor. 

Mr.  Herr  by  his  sweat,  toil  and  self- 
sacrifice  has  reared  an  imperishable 
monument  to  himself  and  his  pious 
ancestry. 

We  quote  the  following  from  the 
introduction  to  the  book. 

"Obtaining  the  data  and  information 
required  to  enable  the  undersigned 
com])iler  to  haxc  tlie  genealogical  rec- 


ord of  Rev.  Hans  Herr  and  his  de- 
scendants published,  was  commenced 
in  1850,  with  the  assistance  of  Milton 
B.  Eshleman,  an  honored  cousin,  long 
since  deceased.  Both  spent  several 
years  very  industriously  in  visiting' 
the  oldest  residents  of  Lancaster,  Dau- 
phin and  Cumberland  counties  in 
Pennsylvania,  where  most  of  the 
descendants  then  lived.  Information 
was  obtained  from  them,  their  rela- 
tives, and  neighbors,  of  all  they  could 
furnish  or  remember,  relating  to  resi- 
dences, births,  marriages  and  deaths 
of  Rev.  Hans  Herr  and  his  descend- 
ants, and  of  all  the  persons  any  of 
them  married,  and  the  names  of  the 
ijarents  of  the  latter. 

All  old  papers,  Bible  records  deeds, 
mortgages,  wills,  and  much  memoran- 
da were  carefully  examined  as  well  as 
tombstones  in  many  of  the  old  burying 
grounds.  All  was  verified  by  family 
records,  traditions,  memories,  etc.,  as 
fully  as  possible.  Many  old  records  in 
Philadelphia,  Harrisburg,  Lancaster, 
and  West  Chester,  were  investigated 
to  ascertain  what  lands  they  owned 
and  last  places  of  residences.  Much 
time  was  occupied  and  expense  incur- 
red in  persistent  efforts  to  obtain  the 
fullest  reliable  data  of  these  early  set- 
tlers, as  they  and  their  companions 
were  the  first  white  settlers  in  what  is 
now  Lancaster  county,  Penna.  Great 
care  was  taken  to  insure  absolutely 
correct  information  as  complete  as 
possible  of  these  early  pioneers,  but  it 
has  been  impossible  to  obtain  much 
desirable  matter.  It  is  to  be  hoped  this 
publication  will  be  the  means  of  call- 
ing out  much  that  is  now  wanting  of 
names,  dates  and  addresses. 

It  should  be  understood,  that  this 
Rec(^rd  is  not  a  history,  but  a  genea- 
l(igical  record  of  names,  last  resi- 
dences, dates  of  births,  marriages  and 
deaths  and  names  oi  parents  of  the 
consorts. 


H\NS    HERR   AND    HIS    DESCENDANTS 


117 


Mans  Merr  was  l)orn  in  1639,  i" 
Switzerland,  at,  or  near  Zurich,  Can- 
ton of  Zurich,  became  a  member  of  the 
Mennonite  religious  society  and  a 
prominent  minister  of  that  denomina- 
tion. 

W'lien  reli<;"ious  ])ersecution  became 
unendurable,  many  of  his  congrega- 
tion emigrated  with  him  to  the  Pala- 
tinate in  (jerman}-,  vvdiich  was  then 
governed  by  a  ruler  who  promised 
them  ])rotection  and  religious  free- 
dom. This  was  satisfactory  u  itil  the 
Palatinate  fell  into  the  hands  of  other 
rulers,  when  the  Mennonites  were 
again  subject  to  severe  religious  perse- 
cution. 

When  this  occurred,  a  number  of 
them  visited  Penn  in  London,  in  1707, 
and  arranged  terms  with  him  to  colo- 
nize a  portion  of  what  is  now  Lancas- 
ter county,  and  in  1709  Hans  Herr, 
John  R.  Piundley,  Hans  Mylin.  Martin 
Kendig,  Jacob  Miller.  Hans  I'^mk. 
Martin  Oberholtzer,  Wendel  Bowman 
and  others  bought  10,000  acres  of  land 
on  Pequea  creek.  A  warrant  was  is- 
sued for  the  land  Oct.  10,  1710,  and  it 
was  surveyed  Oct.  23,  1710.  The  tra- 
dition, which  is  no  doubt  true  is,  that 
these  people  held  a  conference  .  ■  to 
what  steps  should  be  taken  to  inform 
their  relatives  and  friends  left  behind 
in  Europe  of  their  opinions  and  ex- 
pectations, and  it  was  determined  by 
lot  that  Hans  Herr,  their  revered  min- 
ister, should  return,  explain  the  situa- 
tion and  the  great  advantages  of  emi- 
gration, and  luring  with  him  those  he 
could  induce  to  come.  There  is  a  tra- 
dition that  the  "lot"  fell  upon  Christ- 
ian Herr.  son  of  Mans  Herr.  instead  of 
on  his  father,  but  it  does  not  seem  to 
be  sup]>orted  by  historical  evidence. 
Hans  consented  to  go.  but  many  ar- 
gued that  their  beloved  pastor,  head 
and  leader,  then  over  seventy  years  of 
age,  should  not  leave  them  at  this 
juncture,  and  at  last  it  was  agreed  that 
iiis  brother-in-law,  Martin  Kendig. 
should  go.  -Kccordingly,  without  delay, 
he  embarked  for  Europe  and  returned 
in  1710  with  six  sons  and  one  daughter 
of  the  venerable  Hans  Merr.  and  mem- 


bers of  the  families  of  those  who  had 
come  over  in  1709.  John  Houser,  John 
Rachman.  Hans  Tshantz,  Jacob 
Weaver,  Henry  Funk  and  othe:"s.  also 
came  with  them.  The  six  sons  oi  Hans 
Herr,  John,  Emanuel,  Abraham, 
Christian,  Henry  and  Samuel ;  and  the 
daughter  Maria,  were  married  and  had 
families.  Tradition  asserts  that  several 
of  his  sons  and  daughters  remained  in 
Europe.  One  son,  at  least,  went  with 
a  colcMiy  to  London,  England,  in  1709, 
or  about  that  date,  and  shortly  after 
settled  in  Ireland.  Some  of  his  descen- 
dants came  to  the  L'nited  States  about 
fifty  years  ago. 

The  people  who  came  to  what  is 
now  Lancaster  coimty.  Pa.,  in  1709, 
settled  in  Lampeter.  Manor,  Pequea 
and  Strasburg  townships.  From  this 
beginning  of  The  Pioneer  Settlers, 
they  and  their  descendants  now  num- 
ber many  thousands  of  the  best  native 
])opulation  of  this  county  and  other 
sections  oi  the  Cnited  Statv.->.  also 
many  in  other  counties.  They  com- 
prise the  families  of  Allen.  Baer,  Bair, 
Bare,  Bear,  Bachman,  Baldwin,  Barr, 
Bau  man.  Bom  gard  ner,  Bow  man, 
Brackbill,  Breneman,  P>rown,  Brinton. 
Brubaker.  Piryan,  Buckwalter,  Burk- 
holder,  Carjjenter.  Charles,  Clark. 
Davis,  DuBois.  Eaby.  Edwards.  Ellis. 
Erisman,  Eshleman,  Evans,  Ferree. 
Forrer.  Foulk,  Frick,  Fry,  Fulton. 
Funk.  Galbraith.  Gall.  Gardner,  Good, 
Graeff.  Grant,  Gray,  G"aybill,  Greider, 
Groff,  Grove.  Haines,  Harnish,  Harris. 
Hartman,  Hay,  Hendrickson,  Herr, 
Mershey.  Hess.  HooA-er.  Hostetter. 
Houser,  Howard,  Plowell.  Muber.  Im- 
mel.  Johns.  Jones,  Kaufifman,  Keagy, 
Kendig,  Kendrick,  King.  ,  Kreider. 
Landis.  Leaman.  Lefever.  Lemon. 
Levis,  Lewis.  Lightner.  Lines.  Lin- 
ville.  Lloyd.  Long.  Martin.  Mason. 
McClure,  '  :\liddleton.  Miller.  Moore. 
Moser,  Mover,  Musselman,  Musser. 
Myers,  M}lin,  Xeff,  Xewcomer.  Niss- 
ley.  Patterson.  Pickel.  Price.  Rife, 
Robinson.  Row  e.  Kulter.  Sample. 
Seldomridge.  Shank.  Slienk.  Smith, 
.snaxely.  Stehman,  Steinman,  Stewart. 
.Stonoman.      Swarr,      Swope.      Taylor. 


118 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Thompson,  Walker,  Weaver,  White, 
Whiteside,  Wilkins,  Williams,  Wit- 
mer,  Zorty,  and  many  others,  and  are 
scattered  all  over  the  Uiiited  States 
and  elsewhere. 

The  illustrations  of  the  Portrait  and 
Coat  of  Arms  used  in  this  record  w^ere 
made  originally  for  the  Hans  Herr 
Memorial  Association   in    1895. 

Hans  Herr  settled  near  Lampeter, 
and  later  lived  with  his  son,  Rev. 
Christian  Herr,  near  Willov^^  Street, 
where  the  latter  built  a  large  stone 
dwelling  in  1719,  which  is  still  stand- 
ing. This  house  is  a  most  interesting 
specimen  of  architecture,  when  it  is 
remembered  that  it  was  erected  in  a 
location  that  only  a  few  years  before 
was  in  the  midst  of  a  vast  forest,  far 
from  sawmills  or  other  facilities  for 
obtaining  materials.  Here  the  ven- 
erable Hans  Herr  died  in  1725.  His 
children  settled  in  Strasburg,  Lam- 
]>eter,  Lancaster  and  Manor  Town- 
ships, in  Lancaster  county,  Pa.  Their 
descendants  are  now  scattered  in  all 
parts  of  the  United  States  and  in 
other  countries.  Many  became  prom- 
iient  as  ministers,  physcians.  lawyers, 
statesmen,  civil  and  mechanical  engi- 
geers  and  other  professions.  A  number 
settled  early  in  Virginia.  John  Herr 
(897)  went  to  York  county.  Pa.,  and 
afterwards,  about  1830,  settled  in  Ken- 
tucky. His  descendants,  who  are  nu- 
merous, became  famous  for  their  fine 
horses. 

Benjamin  Herr  (80),  in  1789.  went 
to  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  became  the  owner 
of  Herr's  Island,  in  the  Allegheny  riv- 
er. The  descendants  are  numerous ; 
many  settled  in  Kansas  and  other 
western  States. 


Rev.  John  Herr  (494)  became  bishop 
of  the  Reformed  Mennonite  denomina- 
tion, which  he,  with  others,  organized. 
It  is  now  composed  of  many  members. 

John  Herr  (160)  went  to  Red  Haw, 
O.,  where  he  and  his  wife  were  both 
killed  by  a  tree  blown  down  in  a 
storm,  falling  on  their  cairiage.  Their 
descendants  settled  in  Indiana,  Kan- 
sas,  Alissouri  and  Wyoming. 

John  Strohm  (523),  and  A.  Herr 
Smith  (1005),  were  members  of  Con- 
gress, U.  S,  Dr.  John  H.  Musser 
(4899),  of  Philadelphia,  was  lately 
president  of  the  American  Medical 
Association  of  U.  S.  John  Neff  (431) 
became  a  prominent  Mormon,  his 
numerous  descendants  are  mostly  in 
Utah.  Descendants  of  Henry  Forrer 
( 1317)  settled  mostly  in  Ohio  and 
Nebraska.  John  W.  Forney  (2164). 
of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  was  a  celebrated 
journalist;  the  descendants  of  his 
father,  Peter  Forney  (649)  are  mostly 
in  Washington,  D.  C,  and  in  Phila- 
delphia. Harrisburg  and  Lebanon. 
Pa.  The  descendants  of  Abraham 
Frantz  (2433)  are  scattered  in  Penn- 
sylvania. Maryland  and  elsewhere. 
Abraham  Groff  (665)  has  many  de- 
scendants in  Pennsylvania.  Maryland 
and  in  Washington,  D.  C.  John 
Eshleman  (667)  has  descendants  in 
Pennsylvania  and   Iowa. 

This  list  might  be  continued  indefi- 
nitely, suffice  it  to  say,  many  have  ac- 
quired eminence  in  all  parts  of  the 
world  as  judges,  legislators  railroad- 
ers, inventors,  college  presidents,  in- 
structors, missionaries ;  etc.,  in  this 
cduntry,  in  Australia,  Mexico,  South 
America,  the  Philippines,  Egypt,  Si- 
beria, and  in  other  places  By  refer- 
ence to  the  Genealogical  Record,  the 
last  known  residence  or  address  of 
each  person  can  easily  be  found." 


119 


Johannes  Roth  (Rhodes) 


OR 

GLEANINGS    FROM    THE    LIFE    OF    A    PIONEER    SETTLER    ON    THE 

SCHUYLKILL 


By  Dr.  Wm.  Brower,  Spring  City,  Pa. 


■■  Let  not  anihition  mock  their  useful  toil 
Their  homely  joys  and  destiny  oDscure 

Xor  grandeui'  hear  with  a  disdainful  smile 
The  short  and  simple  annals  of  the  poor." 

— Gray. 

The  stream  of  ini  migration  from 
the  Palatinate,  pouring"  into  the  new- 
Colonies  from  1700  to  1730  numbered 
very  few  among  all  these  Ci^lonists 
of  men  rA  affluence  or  of  liberal  attain- 
ments.-\-ery  few  indeed  of  men  who 
like  Daniel  Francis  Pastorius,  son  of  a 
judge,  a  student  of  law  and  possessed 
of  ample  means  of  whom  so  much  has 
been  written  as  an  early  pioneer,  and 
truthfully  written  too,  as  a  type  of 
the  early  German  settler.  He  was  a 
type,  a  most  excellent  type  of  the  very 
best  that  German  culture  could  con- 
tribute to\\ard  the  founding  of  a  new 
world.  Put  he  was  not  a  type  of  my 
early  German  ancestry  as  they  landed 
upon  these  fertile  shores,  nor  was  he  a 
representati\'e  type  of  the  vast  hordes 
of  men  and  women  who  left  the  Pala- 
tinate for  the  purpose  of  establishing 
for  themsehes  homes  in  the  favored 
land  beyond  the  sea,  of  men  who  were 
pinched  with  penury-intired  to  hard- 
ships and  accustomed  to  rugged  toil — 
of  men  who  had  been  taught  in  the 
liard  school  of  stern  necessity,  but 
who  still  had  a  strong  and  an  abiding 
faith  in  the  watchful  care  of  a  Divine 
IVovidence. 

Of  such  was  Johamies  Roth  of  Hep- 
])enhcim  a  true  type.  Nearly  two  cen- 
turies ha\e  ])assed  since  Johannes 
Roth  of  llei)penheim  and  P)arbara 
Midler  of  Wachtenheim  on  the 
Ifaardt,  though  living  on  opposite 
sides  of  the  Rhine  and  at  a  consider- 
al)le  distance  from  each  other,  plighted 
their    \o\vs    and    in    keeping    with  the 


customs  of  the  Fatherland  ol  that 
day — an  official  announcement  was 
made  of  their  purpose  to  enter  into 
matrimony.  The  documents — for  there 
were  two —  are  still  well  preserved — 
they  were  executed  by  a  magistrate 
residing  in  their  respective  home  dis- 
tricts. Johannes  Roth's  document 
bears  date,  Dirmstein,  June  10,  1712. 
and  attested  by  P.  Trauer,  High 
Wormsian    Alagistrate.      (Seal) 

While  that  of  Barabra  Miiller.  is 
dated  at  Pfaltz,  June  11,  1712,  and 
attested  by  J.   W.  Schmitiehle.   (Seal) 

That  of  Johannes  Roth  reads  as 
follows  : 

In  all  sincerity  the  esteemed  bachelor 
.Johannes  Roth,  a  worthy  son  of  Peter  and 
Susanna  Roth  of  Heppenheim  has  entered 
into  an  honorable  engagement  with  Miss 
Barbara  IMiiller,  daughter  of  the  late  John 
(Hans)  and  Catherine  Miiller  of  Wachen- 
heim  on  the  Haardt.  The  same  in  conform- 
ity to  custom  is  announced  in  this  fitting 
manner.  Therefore  if  they  are  in  their 
usual  good  health,  they  will  be  proclaimed, 
and  no  objections  being  made,  subsequent- 
ly married. 

Dirmstein,  .June   10,   1712. 
High    Wormsian    Magistrate. 
P.   Trauer.   Seal 

That  of  l>arl)ara  Muller — reads  as 
follows — 

Whereas  Miss  Barbara  Muller  the  sur- 
viving and  legitimate  daughter  of  Hans 
Miiller  has  been  betrothed  to  the  honorable 
.Johannes  Itoth,  a  legitimate  son  by  descent 
of  Peter  Roth,  a  resident  of  Hep:)enheim. 
— The  same  is  hereby  announced  according 
to  the  custom  of  Holland  and  also  of  the 
Menonists.  Nothing  interfering  they  will  be 
proclaimed  and  no  objections  being  made, 
will   be    subsequently    married. 

Pfaltz — June  11.  1712. 
J.  W.  Schmitiehle.  Y.  G.  R. 

Se\en  }"ears  later  Johannes  Roth, 
now  an  assessor,  with  his  wife  !>arba- 
ra  and  their  children,  secure  their  pass 


120 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


for  a  journey  to  the  New  World.  This 
passport  dated  June  4,  1719,  hearing 
the  seal  of  the  City  of  Worms,  stamp- 
ed in  red  sealing-  wax,  is  still  as  legible 
as  though  executed  but  yesterday. 
The  passport   reads  as   follows : 

Whereas  the  bearer  of  this  Johannes 
floth  hitherto  an  assessor  and  Menonist, 
has  resolved  to  go  from  tliis  to  another 
place  and  applied  to  this  office  for  a  pass 
and  certified  attest  as  to  his  behavior  in 
this  community.  Therefore  it  is  attested  to 
him  herewith  upon  his  due  request,  that  he 
did  conduct  himself  during  his  stay  at  this 
place  as  becomes  a  good  subject,  and  we 
request  each  and  every  one  to  give  not  only 
full  credit  to  this  certificate,  but  also  to  let 
him  pass  with  wife  and  children  every- 
where free  and  unmolested  and  to  treat 
him  in  other  respects  with  a  kind  i-itention 
under  an   offer  of  reciprocal   service. 

A.  D.  1719. 
Seal 

,1.  W.  Astorff 
High    i)rincely   Episcopal 

Wormsian    Bailiif 
Attested   by   our   handwriting   and   official 
Dirmstein,   near  Worms. 

Johannes  Roth  in  addition  to  his 
passport  had  still  further  fortific'd  him- 
self for  his  proposed  journey  and  his 
sojourn  in  a  foreign  land,  by  the  re- 
ception of  an  official  letter  fr')m  the 
home  church  in  the  Palatinate.  The 
official  Brethren  of  the  Menonist 
Church  graciously  commended  them 
in  a  living  epistle  to  the  care  ami  help- 
ftilness  of  the  Menonists  in  Holland 
and  also  in  Pennsylvania.  In  this 
brotherly  letter  they  graciously  in- 
\  t)ke  the  divine  favor  and  the  bless- 
ing of  heaven  to  rest  upon  the:r  dear 
tirother  and  his  little  family. 

This  epistle  is  as  follows: 

We  servants  and  elders  of  the  church  in 
the  Palatinate,  with  all  Patriarch-Ser- 
vants and  Elders  in  Holland  and  Pennsyl- 
vania, wish  you  much  grace  and  miuiy  mer- 
cies from  God  our  Heavenly  Father,  and 
the  love  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord  and  the 
co-wcrking  of  the  Holy  Ghosl — Amen.  John 
Roth  from  Dirmstein  with  his  wife  Barbara 
and  with  their  little  children  whose  desire 
and  pleasure  it  is  to  journey  to  Pennsyl- 
vania— therefore  we  wish  to  send  them 
greetings,— As  to  their  conduct  as  breth- 
ren and  sisters  we  can  say  nothing  else 
Than  that  we  are  satisfied  with  their 
honesty  and  sincerity,  and  therefore  re- 
quest of  all  to  whom  they  may  come  to 
recognize     and     receive    them    and    to    give 


them  all  good  advice.  To  hear  of  such  kind- 
ness will  give  us  much  pleasure.  We  all 
wish  you  often  many  hearty  greetings  and 
remain  your  faithful  friends  and  Brethren 
in  Jesus  Christ. 

Written   in   Pfaltz,  May   30,   1719. 

.  Jonas  Loheer 

Offstein    (Obersten.» 
Peter    Colb 
Velten   Hut   Dohl 
Hans  Buckholder 

Johannes  Roth  besides  his  family, 
had  a  traveling  companion  in  the  per- 
son of  Michael  Schmidt,  a  young- 
single  man.  Both  passes  were  execut- 
ed the  same  day.  and  by  the  same  of- 
ficial, and  both  passes  are  well  pre- 
served- These  two  passes  have  been 
handed  down  together  in  the  same 
family  line,  evidencing  the  fact  that 
Johannes  Roth  was  made  the  custo- 
dian  of  Michael   Schmidt's   pass. 

In  1720,  one  year  after  their  arrival 
on  the  Schuylkill  a  letter  is  received 
by  them,  from  Christian  Roth  of  Ilep- 
penheim  on  the  meadows,  a  brother  of 
Johannes  Roth.  This  letter  l^-etrays 
the  deep  concern  felt  in  the  old  home 
circle  for  the  welfare  of  the  brother 
who  had  journeyed  across  the  sea. 
They  anxiously  await  his  description 
of  the  voyage  to  the  new  world.  And 
are  eager  to  learn  whether  he  is  pleas- 
ed with  the  new  country  and  whether 
he  would  advise  them  to  come  over 
also.  A  deej)  piety  seems  to  pervade 
every  utterance. 

The  letter  is  as  follows: 

Heppenheim,   on   the   Meadows, 

May   6,   1720. 

A  friendly  greeting  with  leadings  of  love 
and  tenderness  to  you  my  loving  brother 
Johannes  Roth  and  family,  and  all  known 
friends  and  all  those  who  love  our  Lord 
.Jesus  Christ  immovable.  Amen.  I  Christ- 
ian Roth  of  Heppenheim.  on  the  Meadows, 
cannot  well  rest,  but  must  write  jou  my 
beloved  John  Roth,  with  this  good  oppor- 
tunity, how  it  is  with  me.  .^nd  therefore  I 
let  you  know  that  my  wife  died  and  the  two 
youngest  children.  The  little  one  a  week 
before  mother  and  the  other  one  a  week 
after  which  made  me  many  sorrows.  Yet 
through  all  this  I  praised  God  that  he  took 
them  out  of  this  wicked  world. 

In  all  this  mother  fell  asleep  peaceablv 
Else  otherwise,  I  and  the  rest  of  the  fam- 
ily are  all  well.  Praise  the  Lord!  To  see 
you  again  would  be  much  pleasing  to  me. 
Further,    I    let    you    know    that    a    child  of 


JOHANNES  ROTH    (RHODES) 


121 


Peter  Roth,  died  also,  and  his  other  circum- 
stances are  about  the  same  as  before.  All 
well,  praise  the  Lord!  His  wife  is  still  as 
weak  as  she  al\^ays  has  been.  They  also 
send  friendly  greetings  to  you,  and  to  tell 
known  friends.  And  herel)y  tell  us  how 
you  got  along  on  your  journey  and  what  it 
cost  you,  and  tell  us  how  you  like  it  in 
that  country  and  also  whether  you  could 
advise  me  to  come,  or  would  you  rather 
be  with  us  again?  Write  us  and  tell  us 
the  condition  of  the  land  and  place.  And 
when  you  write  we  hope  you  will  tell  us 
the  truth.  Further  I  do  not  see  any  neces- 
sity for  writing  any  more.  Furthermore  I 
and  children  send  you  happy  greetings 
and  commend  you  to  the  protection  of 
Almighty  G'od, — and  He  will  keep  you  and 
us  to  a  happy  end.  So  keep  us  in  memory 
in  your  prayers  as  you  know  it  ought  to 
l)e.  I  hope  not  to  forget  you,  God  helping 
me. 

This  letter  was  folded  and  sealed,  with- 
out an  envelope  and  addressed: 

This  letter  to  be  delivered  to 

•Johannes    Roth,   on 
The  Schulykill,  in  Pennsylvania. 

Again  in  1721  another  letter  is  re- 
ceived by  Johatmes  Roth  from  the 
liomehmd.  I'his,  too  from  his  brother 
Christian  Roth  of  Heppenheim,  on  the 
Meadows,  breathing  the  same  spiri- 
tual and  brotherly  love  that  character- 
ized his  former  epistle.  In  this  letter 
we  perceive  a  deep  yearning,  that  is 
truly  pathetic  to  hear  from  his  dear 
brother  in  far  off  America. 

The  letter  is  as  follows: 

Beloved  brother  .Johannes  Roth  it  is  im- 
possible for  me  to  leave  the  time  go  by 
without  writing  to  you.  If  this  letter  will 
reach  you  and  your  dear  friends  all  alive 
and  well  the  Almighty  alone  knows.  I 
have  wondered,  why  J  did  not  hear  any- 
rhing  from  you  as  yet.  If  you  wiote  me 
a  letter  and  I  did  not  get,  I  do  not  know 
but  it  may  have  been  so.  But  write  as 
soon  as  possible  so  I  may  know  how  you 
mid  your  beloved  in  a  foreign  land  are 
getting  along.  I  am  well,  but  it  was  the 
will  of  the  Almighty  to  take  away  my  be- 
loved wife  from  me  and  I  am  now.  a 
widower  over  a  year  and  a  quarter — and 
have  not  made  up  my  mind  yet  to  yet  mar- 
ried again  at  the  same  time  I  do  not  konw 
of  any  yet,  either.  J  will  now  put  you  and 
your  relatives  under  God's  care  and  I  will 
be  your  dear  brother  Christian  Roth.  With 
best  regards  to  you  and  ail  relations.  I 
hope  and  pray  that  we  may  meet  again,  but 
if  it  is  not  in  this  world  it  will  be  in 
heaven. 
.June.   1721.  CHRISTLVN   ROTH. 

Miller  and  a  citizen  of  Happen  heim. 


This  letter  was  addressed  as  fol- 
lows : 

This  letter  to  be  delivered  to  my  hearts 
beloved  brother,  Johannes  Roth,  in  Penn- 
sylvania. 

The  years  roll  by  and  once  more  in 
1726  another  letter  is  received  from 
the  old  home  on  the  Rhine. 

This  time  it  is  not  from  Christian 
Roth  of  Heppenheim,  but  from  his 
brother  Peter  Roth  of  Hessen.  This 
letter  speaks  of  the  home  life — the 
changes  that  time  has  wrought  in  the 
family  circle — first  of  all,  that  his 
brother  Christian,  the  miller  upon  the 
meadows,  he,  who  had  been  writing 
letters  to  him,  heretofore,  has  since 
passed  over  the  great  divide-  He  al- 
ludes to  the  distribution  of  his  de- 
t:eased  Brother's  estate,  and  speaks 
specifically  of  the  disposition  made  of 
the  old  mill  upon  the  meadow.  This 
letter  is  characterized  by  the  same  de- 
vout spirit  that  accentuated  the  form- 
er letters  of  his  brother.  We  are  here 
given  a  true  insight  into  the  pitiable 
condition  of  the  poor  Palatinates  and 
especially  of  those  who  were  adher- 
ents of  the  Mennonite  persuasion.  We 
can  readily  comprehend  their  ardent 
desire  to  emigrate  to  a  more  favored 
land. 

The  letter  is  as  follows — 

Hessen,  May  12,  1726. 

Peter  Roth,  of  Hessen  will  report 
briefly  how  we  are  getting  along.  I  am 
still  well  as  are  also  my  children.  My 
son  Johannes  is  married  to  the  daughter  of 
Caspar  Kramer,  Anna  Kramer  by  name  at 
Heppenheim.  Our  brother  Christian  Roth 
at  Heppenheim  on  the  meadow,  is  dead. 
His  children  are  all  well.  He  left  a  wife 
and  child,  to  her  is  bequeathed  the  widow- 
hood. The  'Mill'  besides  all  appurtenances 
is  transferred  to  Peter  Roth  for  the  sum 
of  twenty-three  hundred  florins  to  be  paid 
out  Ijy  him  to  his  brothers  and  sisters. 
Peter  Roth  is  married  to  a  daughter  of 
Christian   Bike,  Catherine   Bike   by   name. 

Johannes  Roth  of  Hessen.  How  I  wish 
to  be  with  you  besides  my  wife  and  chil- 
dren. We  would  have  come  to  you  if  we 
only  had  the  traveling  money.  We  are 
burdened  very  heavy.  We  must  pay  mili- 
tia tax,  palace  tax,  building  tax  and  month- 
ly tax  and  an  order  has  also  been  issued  by 
the  civil  authorities  to  sequester  the  prop- 
erty of  all  Menonists  for  their  earnest 
money. 


122 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


I  have  not  any  further  news  to  write. 
Be  greeted  by  us  all  with  the  peace  of  the 
All  Highest.  We  beseech  likewise  the 
Lord,  that  He  may  lend  us  His  aid,  as  we 
are   your   confederates   in   Baptism. 

PETER    ROTH. 

Address:    Deliver   this    letter    to     Johannes 
Roth  on  the  Schuylkill.     A  D.  1726. 

We  have  reason  to  believe  that  this 
letter  wa.s  intrusted  to  the  care  of  Hu- 
bert Brewer  to  be  dehvered  by  him  to 
Johannes  Roth. 

Hubert  C  rower  received  his  pass 
May  4th,  1726  in  the  Fakensteinen 
district,  near  Neuvvied,  at  a  date  cor- 
responding" very  closely  to  the  date  of 
Peter  Roth's  letter.  Reference  is  made 
to  this  Hubert  Brower,  whose  pass  is 
in  our  possession,  by  Dr.  J.  G.  De- 
Hoop  Schefifer  of  Amsterdam  Ar- 
ticle, Page  190,  Historical  and  Bio- 
graphical Sketches,  by  Hon.  Saml.  W. 
Pennypacker.  That  Hubert  Brower 
delivered  this  letter,  seems  to  be  cor- 
roborated by  stibscquent  events.  In 
the  years  intervening-  between  1726 
and  1740  the  mutations  of  time  had 
wrought  great  changes  in  the  families 
of  Johannes  Roth  and  Hubert  Brower 


on  the  Schuylkill,  Susanna  Roth,  wife 
of  Johannes  Roth  had  died.  Hubert 
Brower  had  also  passed  ^.way,  leaving 
his  widow  Annie  Brower,  to  marry 
Johannes  Roth.  In  an  abstract  from 
the  will  of  Johannes  Roth,  embodying 
also  a  marriage  agreement  with  Annie, 
his  second  wife,  provision  is  made  for 
his  own  children  as  well  as  for  the 
children  of  Annie  Brower,  who  be- 
came his  second  wife.  From  the  be- 
quests we  can  readily  see  that  Johan- 
nes Roth  had  been  prospered  during 
his  20  years  of  toil  upon  tlie  Schuyl- 
kill. 

But  enough  has  been  written  to  ex- 
emplify, to  some  extent,  the  course  of 
events  as  they  transpired  in  the  life  of 
this  humble,  yet  typical  Pennsylvania- 
German  ancestor,  and  through  him  as 
a  type,  we  have  portrayed  to  our 
minds  a  faint  picture  of  the  lives  of 
our  own  ancestors,  giving  us,  in  a 
meager  way,  glimpses  into  the 
thoughts  and  emotions  which  actuated 
their  very  being,  while  toiling  to  es- 
tablish homes  for  themselves  and 
their  children  ujjon  these  favored 
shores. 


Rev.  Lebrecht  Frederick  Herman,  D.  D. 

By  D.  Nicholas  Shaeffer,  Esq.,  Reading,  Pa. 


The  Reformed  Church  in  the  United 
States  owes  a  debt  of  gratitude  to  Dr. 
Lebrecht  Frederick  Herman  for  hav- 
ing educated  prior  to  the  establish- 
ment of  a  Theological  Seminary  by 
the  Church,  young  men  for  the  min- 
istry. He  prepared  at  least  thirteen 
young  men,  among  whom  were  five 
of  his  own  sons,  for  the  holy  office. 
Nearly  all  of  these  men  became  earn- 
est and  faithful  laborers  in  the  Lord's 
\-ineyard.  Some  of  them  l)ecame 
prominent  in  the  Councils  of  the 
L'hiirch.  and   nearlv  all  of  them   made 


a    deep    and    lasting    impression    that 
has  been   felt  far  and  wide. 

Dr.  Herman  was  born  in  Gustein. 
in  the  principality  of  Anhalt,  Gothen, 
Germany,  on  October  9,  1761.  He  was 
a  son  of  ]jious  parents,  who  brought 
him  u])  in  the  faith  of  the  German 
Reformed  Church.  In  early  yotith  he 
was  sent  to  school  where  he  learned 
the  elements  of  useftd  knowledge. 
He  then  attended  the  school  connect- 
ed with  the  Orphans'  House  at  Halle 
for  a  period  of  six  years,  after  which 
he  took  a    course    of    three    years    in 


REV.    LEBRECHT   FREDERICK   HERMAN,   D.   D. 


123 


theology  in  the  University  of  the 
same  place.  When  he  had  finished 
his  course  of  stud}',  he  received  a 
call  as  assistant  pastor  to  the  City  of 
Bremen,  where  he  labored  for  three 
years. 

The  Reformed  Church  in  the  United 
States  was  still  a  missionary  chvirch 
under  the  care  and  control  of  the  Re- 
formed Synod  of  Holland.  In  1786, 
the  Synod  of  Holland  called  Dr.  Her- 
man to  go  to  Pennsylvania  to  assist 
in  supplying"  the  demand  for  mmisters 
that  existed  there.  He  gladly  accepted 
the  call,  and  proceeded  to  the  Hague, 
where  he  was  ordained  far  the  for- 
eign work.  He  was  one  of  the  two 
last  missionaries  that  were  sent  to 
Pennsyh-ania  by  the  Synod  of  Hol- 
land. He  arrived  safely  in  America 
in  August,   1786. 

He  soon  found  employment  after 
liis  arri^■al.  The  congregation  at  Eas- 
ton,  Pa.,  elected  him  as  their  pastor. 
He  ser^'ed  this  congregation  in  connec- 
tion with  several  country  congrega- 
tions, for  about  four  years.  During 
the  second  year  after  his  arri\-al,  he 
married  Mary  Fiedt.  who  proved  a 
true  helpmate  to  him  during  his  long 
and  useful  life.  In  1790.  he  received 
a  call  from  the  congregations  at  Ger- 
mantown  and  Frankfort,  where  he 
preached  in  the  German  and  English 
languages  for  a  period  of  about  ten 
vears. 

During  his  pastorate  at  German - 
town  the  yellow  fever  prevailed  in 
Philadel])hia,  wdiich  caused  many  of 
the  peo)le  to  fiee  from  the  city.  Gen- 
eral \\'ashington  was  then  President 
of  the  I'nited  States,  during  which 
lime  the  National  Capitol  was  at 
Philadel])hia.  The  General  went  to 
(iermantown  during  the  yellow  fe\-er 
epidemic  and  resided  for  several 
months  in  Dr.  Merman's  fanrly.  He 
fre(|uently  attended  services  in  the 
Reformed  Church  at  Germantown. 
esiKX'ially  when  there  was  English 
])reaching.  lie  at  one  time  receixed 
communion  from  the  hands  of  Dr. 
Herman.      After    the    death    of    ^^'ash- 


ington  a  memorial  service  was  held  in 
the  Reformed  Church  at  Philadelphia 
in  which  Dr.  Herman  took  an  active 
part. 

Preaching  in  two  languages  was 
burdensome  to  him.  He  was  German 
by  l)irth  and  speech  and  therefore  ac- 
cepted a  call  to  the  churches  of  the 
Swamp,  Pottstown  and  St.  \^incent 
in  Montgomery  count}^  where  more 
German  than  English  preaching  was 
required.  Yet  it  must  be  stated  that 
in  conversation  he  was  anxious  to  use 
the  English  Language,  which  shows 
his  liberality  and  far-sightedness.  He 
loved  his  mother  tongue ;  but  he  saw 
that  the  English  Language  Avas  bound 
to  become  the  universal  language  of 
our  nation,  and  the  sooner  our  people 
would  become  reconciled  to  it,  the  bet- 
ter it  would  be  for  them.  After  he  had 
founded  his  parsonage  at  Falkner 
Swani]),  he  invited  young  men  to  en- 
ter it  and  receive  at  his  hands  special 
instructions  to  prepare  themselves  for 
the  ministry.  The'  Synod  of  Holland 
stopped  sending  missionaries  to 
America,  and  the  Church  had  no 
school  in  which  to  educate  men  for 
the  ministry.  The  importance  of  Dr. 
Merman's  work  therefore  became 
verv  api)arent.  If  it  had  not  been  for 
his  work  and  that  of  one  or  two 
others,  the  Reformed  Church  might 
have  seen  a  sorr}^  ending  in  Pennsyl- 
vania for  want  of  ministers.  He  had 
six  sons,  five  of  whom  he  ]ire)ared 
for  the  ministry.  Even  the  sixth  had 
taken  a  course  of  theology  under  him. 
but  subse(|uently  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  medicine  which  he  i^racticed 
successfullv.  flis  sons  were  men  of 
more  than  ordinar}-  ability.  They 
were  Charles,  Augustus,  Frederick. 
Reuben.  Lewis  and  Alfred.  The  last 
one  mentioned  was  the  physician. 

The  theological  school  which  lu- 
organized  at  his  parsonage  w  a  s 
known  as  "The  Swamp  College."  He 
established  a  course  of  study  extend- 
ing t>\er  a  i)eriod  of  three  years,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  instructed  his  stu- 
dents not  only  in  theology,  but  also 
in    tlu-    rudiments   of   the   ancient   Ian- 


124 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


i^uages  and  kindred  subjects.  In  ad- 
(lition  to  the  five  sons  already  men- 
tioned he  prepared  Rev.  Samuel  Gul- 
din  (a  great  grandson  of  Rev.  Sam- 
uel Guldin,  the  first  ordained  Re- 
formed minister  in  Pennsylvana,  who 
came  here  in  1710)  Rev.  B.  S. 
Schneck,  D.  D.,  Rev.  Thomas  H. 
Leinbach,  Rev.  Joseph  S..  Dubbs, 
Rev.  Peter  S.  Fisher,  Rev.  Abraham 
Berge,  Rev.  Richard  A.  Fisher  and 
Rev.  David  Young.  The  mentioning 
of  these  names  shows  the  great  in- 
fluence that  was  exerted  by  him. 

Rev.  Dr.  Herman  not  only  insisted 
on  his  students  studying  the  neces- 
sary languages  from  the  text  books, 
but  also  that  they  converse  in  Latin. 
The  result  was  that  some  of  these 
men  became  better  Latin  scholars 
than  their  sons  who  afterwards  had 
the  advantages  of  college  training. 

When  the  Church  determined  to 
establish  a  Theological  Seminary  Dr. 
Herman  was  beyond  doubt  the  best 
fitted  man  in  the  Church  to  be  the 
first  Professor  in  Theology.  His 
name,  however,  was  not  publicly 
mentioned  and  whether  he  would 
liave  accepted  such  a  call  , cannot  be 
stated.  But  there  was  no  doubt  some 
opposition  to  him  from  certain  quar- 
ters as  appears  by  a  resolution  adopt- 
ed in  1820,  when  Synod  adopted  the 
Plan  for  the  Establishment  of  a  Theo- 
logical Seminary,"  viz  : 

"Resolved,  That  no  minister  shall 
hereafter  have  the  privilege  of  receiv- 
ing a  young  man  in  order  to  instruct 
him  in  theology,  but  may  only  direct 
liim   in   his   preliminary  studie^^^." 

Since  Dr.  Herman  was  the  only 
mnister  at  the  time  who  had  any  con- 
siderable number  of  students  under 
his  care,  he  must  have  regarded  the 
resolution  as  being  especially  aimed 
at  him.  That  the  resolution  was  pre- 
mature there  can  be  no  doubt,  because 
the  proposed  Theological  Seminary 
had.no  actual  existence.  A  period  of 
five  years  elapsed  before  the  Church 
succeeded  in  establishing  a  Theologi- 
cal Seminary,  under  the  Professorship 
and     organize     what     was    known    as 


first  proposed  to  locate  the  Seminary 
at  Frederick,  Aid.,  which  Dr.  Herman 
opposed,  contending  that  it  was  too 
far  from  the  center  of  the  Church. 
During  the  time  that  the  establish- 
ment of  a  Theological  Seminary  was 
under  consideration,  one  of  his  sons 
was  suspended  by  the  Synod  from  the 
ministerial  office,  which  proved  of- 
fensive on  account  of  the  manner  in 
which  the  sentence  was  communicat- 
ed to  him-  This  caused  him  and  his 
friends  to  withdraw  from  the  Synod, 
and  organized  what  was  known  as 
"The  Free  Synod ;"  but  was  called 
later  "The  German  Reformed  Synod 
of  Pennsylvania  and  A  d  j  a  c  en  t 
States."  All  of  Dr.  Herman's  stu- 
dents were  after  this  licensed  rnd  or- 
dained by  this  Synod,  which  had  a 
membership  of  more  than  fifty  minis- 
ters, and  had  under  its  care  and  juris- 
diction over  one  hundred  coiigrega- 
tions.  It  existed  as  a  separate  body  for 
a  period  of  sixteen  years,  when  an  ef- 
fort was  made  to  adjust  all  differences 
between  its  members  and  that  of  the 
old  Synod,  and  a  reconcilitation  and  a 
reunion  was  happily  effected  in    1837. 

In  1812,  Dr.  Herman  prepared  a 
catechism  to  meet  a  demand  for  an 
easier  and  simjder  catechism  than  the 
Heidelberg  Catechism.  His  cate- 
chism was  received  with  a  good  deal 
of  favor,  as  four  editions  at  least  were 
printed  at  various  times — two  in 
Reading  and  two  in  Philadelphia.  The 
questions  and  answers  are  shorter  and 
simjder  than  those  in  the  Heidelberg 
Catechism,  but  are  more  numerous. 
The  former  has  485  questions  and  an- 
swers, and  no  proof  texts  or  proof 
answers,  while  the  latter  has  127  ques- 
tions and  answers  with  many  proof 
texts.  It  has  been  suggested  that  the 
present  demand  for  a  simpler  cate- 
chism could  be  met.  to  some  extent  at 
least,  by  some  one  translating  and  re- 
\ising  the    I  lerman   Catechism. 

Several  <^f  his  students  were  not 
only  strong  men  in  the  pvdpit,  but  ren- 
dered useful  service  by  publishing 
books  on  religious  subjects.  Mis  son. 
Rev.  Chas.  G.  ITerman.    who    was    the 


REV.    LEBRECHT   FREDERICK    HERMAN,   D.    D. 


125 


])ast()r  at  Kutztovvn,  Berks  County, 
and  \  icinilv,  from  i8io  to  1863,  pub- 
lished "Der  Sanger  am  Grabe,"  which 
is  a  collection  of  hymns  suital^lc  for 
funeral  occasions.  It  is  said  that  this 
is  the  best  selection  of  German  funer- 
al hymns  that  was  ever  made,  rmd  the 
book  is  still  used  in  many  of  the  Ger- 
man CongTet^ations  of  the  Reformed 
and  l.utheran  churches.  Rev.  Augus- 
tus L.  Herman,  who  was  pastor  at  Eo- 
lers'  and  other  churches  in  Berks  Co. 
from  1823  to  T872,  published  "Zolli- 
kofers'  Prayer  Book,"  Rev.  Benjamin 
S.  Schneck,  1).  D.  was  the  author  of 
"The  Burning  of  Chambersburg,'" 
■'Mercersburg  Theology,"  and  was 
the  first  editor  of  "The  Messenger." 
and  "The  Kirchenzeitung."  He  was 
one  of  the  two  commissioncs  who 
were  sent  to  Germany  by  the  Synod 
of  the  Reformed  Church  in  1843  to 
present  to  Rev.  Dr.  F.  W.  Krum- 
macher  a  call  to  a  German  Professor- 
ship in  the  Theological  Seminary  at 
Mercersberg,  Pa.  Dr.  Krummacher 
was  at  the  time  one  of  the  most  cele- 
brated pul;)it  orators  of  Germany,  and 
from  previous  assurances  tt  was 
believed  that  he  would  accept  the  call. 
The  commissioners  were  received 
very  cordially,  yet  Dr.  Krummacher 
telt  constrained  to  decline,  especially 
since  the  Prussian  Government  exr 
])ressed  a  decided  disinclination  to  his 
removal  to  Pennsylvania.  The  com- 
missioners were  unwilling,  however,  to 
come  htMiie  without  acconi'^lishng 
their  mission.  They  consequently  con- 
sulted some  of  the  leading  divines 
I  if  Germany,  when  they  were  directed 
to  the  Rev.  Philip  ScliafF.  D.  D.,  who 
was  at  the  time  a  professor  extraor- 
dinary in  the  Cniversity  at  Berlin.  On 
their  return  to  .\merica  they  proposed 
the  name  of  Dr.  Schaff,  to  the  .Synced. 
and  he  was  unanimously  elected.  He 
came  to  America  and  ser\ed  as  onj  of 
the  Professors  in  the  Theological 
Seminary  at  Mercersberg,  Pa.,  for  a 
period  of  twenty  years,  after  which  he 
was  elected  to  a  professorshiji  in  the 
Union  Seminary  of  New  York  where 
lie  labored  to  the  time  i)f  his  death.  He 


became  pre-eminent  as  a  theologian, 
and  did  a  great  service  to  the  Christ- 
ian Church  as  teacher  of  theology  and 
editor  and  ])ublisher  of  theological 
works. 

Dr.  Herman  Avas  instrumental  in 
organizing  a  number  of.  ])rosperous 
C(»ngregations  in  Eastern  Pennsyl- 
\'ania.  in  connection  with  his  s^^ns  and 
students,  he  served  in  addition  to  the 
congregations  of  the  Swamp,  Potts- 
town  and  St.  Vincent,  the  congrega- 
tions at  Coventry,  Pikeland  and  Rice. 
in  Chester  Co.,  Pa.,  the  congregation 
at  the  Trapi^e  (now  Collegeville)  in 
Montgomery  Co.  and  the  Congrega- 
tions at  Berger,  (Hill  Church)  Spiess, 
Amity.  Royers  and  Oley,  in  Berks 
County.  He  outlived  all  the  mission- 
aries sent  from  Holland  and  saw  to 
his  loneliness  and  sorrow,  all  his  early 
friends  and  fellow-laborers  laid  in  the 
gra\e.  He  labored  in  his  holy  oftice  for 
sixty  years,  during  which  time  he 
baptized  8535  persons,  confirmed 
4600  persons,  married  2600  ("ouples. 
buried  2280  deceased,  and  preached 
(ner  8000  times.  His  Bible  is  in  the 
possession  of  his  grandson.  Hex. 
.Mfred  J.  Herman,  of  Maxatawny,  Pa. 
From  the  interlineations,  underscor- 
ings  and  other  marks  he  made  in  it,  it 
would  a')i)ear  that  he  was  most  deeply 
interested  in  the  New  Testament, 
from  which  he  selected  most  of  his 
texts,  as  the  basis  of  his  sermons. 

In  his  old  age  he  became  blind, 
which  limited  his  usefulness;  yet. 
t Hough  he  was  unable  to  continue  in 
the  active  duties  of  the  ministry,  he 
was  deei)ly  interested  in  the  further 
ance  of  the  cause  of  Christ.  His 
religion  cheered  him  during  the  night 
(if  his  affliction.  A  few  days  |  rior  to 
his  death,  he  suffered  a  stroke  of  apo- 
])lexy.  On  Jan.  30.  1848.  he  was  i^eace- 
fully  translated  to  the  other  world. 
His  death  cast  a  deei)  ghxMii  o/er  thi' 
community  in  which  he  lived  and  over 
the  congregations  that  he  served.  On 
Feb.  3  following",  his  remains  were 
I)in-ied  in  the  gra\eyard  of  the  Re- 
formed Church,  at  PottstoAvn.  Pa. 
I\e\ .  riiomas  H.    Feinbach.  one  of  hi- 


126 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


students,  preached  the  funeral  ser- 
mon. A  large  multitude  of  people 
assembled  to  pay  their  last  tribute  of 
love  and  honor  to  the  departed. 

No  other  man  did  so  much  as  Dr. 
Herman  by  his  untiring  industry  as 
a    minister,    teacher    and  loyal  citizen 


to  advance  the  interest  of  The  Re- 
formed Church  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
the  comforts  and  blessings  that  were 
received  and  are  continued  to  be  re- 
ceived by  his  people  and  their  de- 
scendants by  reason  thereof  are  in- 
calculable. 


Descendants  of  John  Early  (Johannes  Early) 

By  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Early,  Reading,  Pa. 

(continued   from   FEBRUARY   ISSUE) 


Perhaps  it  might  be  better  to  say 
the  Early  families  of  German  descent, 
for  there  are  not  less  than  four  or 
five  and  possibly  six  or  seven  of  these 
in  Pennsylvania,  besides  a  number  of 
others  in  various  parts  of  the  United 
States.  But,  as  already  stated,  we 
are  more  particularly  concerned  about 
the  family  of  John  Early,  as  his  de- 
scendants are  found  all  over  eastern 
Pennsylvania  at  the  present  day.  We 
now  refer  to  those  still  bearing  the 
name  Early.  Those  of.  other  names, 
the  offspring  of  his  daughteis,  the 
Eisenhauers  and  the  Breitenbachs, 
have  all  gone  west,  beyond  the  Ohio, 
and   some   beyond   the   Mississippi. 

Daniel    Early    who  appparently  also 
was   a   German,   although   that   is   not 
absolutely    certain,    had    come    to   this 
country   some   ten   or   more   years   be- 
fore  John    Early    arrived.        In     Sept. 
1740   Rev.   John    Casper   Stoever   bap- 
tized one  of  his    (D.   E.'s)    daughters. 
His  residence  as  given    at    that    time, 
was  Codorus,  i.  c.  the  \'icinity  of  Han- 
over,  York    County,    Pa.      No    further 
direct  trace  of  this  man  or  his  family 
has   thus   far  been    found.      There   are 
families     of    the    name    at    Mt.    Holly. 
Carlisle       and        Chambersburg,      but 
whether    any    of    them    are  descended 
from  him  we  are  not  able  to  say. 

Jacob  Early,  who  at-first  spelled  his 
name  Ehrle,  Vvhich  we  are  told  was 
in  many  places  used  in  preference  to 
Oehrle  several  hundred  years  ago.  and 
who  came  to  TMiiladelphia  in  the  Ship 


Osgood,  William  W^ilkes,  Captain. 
Sept-  29,  1750,  arrived  only  cibout  a 
month  before  John  E.  who  had  reach- 
ed that  place  Aug.  24  of  the  same 
year.  But  in  1752  when  his  oldest 
son  John  was  baptized  at  New  Han- 
over, his  name  is  already  entered  up- 
on the  "Record"  as  Early. 

For  some  time  we  thought  these 
men  might  be  brothers,  as  the  family 
record  -showed  that  John  had  a  broth- 
er Jacob.  But  when  informed  that  the 
church  records  of  Germany  showed 
that  this  brother  Jacob  had  died  in  in- 
fancy, the  supposition  had  to  bo  aban- 
doned. The  additional  fact  that 
Jacob  Early's  oldest  son  John  and 
John  Early  second,  the  son  of  Johan- 
nes Oehrle,  had  li^-ed  within  ten  or 
twelve  miles  of  each  other  for  almost 
thirty  years,  without  being  aware  of 
each  other's  existence,  we  saw  that 
such  a  sup])osition  must  he  almost  in- 
credible. 

A  very  interesting  incident  is  the 
fact  that  the  wife  of  John  E.  the  old- 
est son  of  Jacob,  was  A.  Margaret 
and  that  the  wife  of  John,  the  second 
son  of  John  E.  of  Londonderry,  was 
also  Margaret.  They  lived  in  adjoin- 
ing townshi])S,  Lcindonderry  and 
I  Donegal.  It  is  also  somewhat  re- 
markable that  there  was  a  son  Jacob 
in  each  family. 

About  twenty  or  twenty-five  years 
ago,  Frederic  Early  (Oehrli)  from  In- 
terlaken,  Bern,  Switzerland,  resided 
at    Williamsnort.    Lvcoming    Co.,    Pa. 


DESCENDANTS  OF  JOHN  EARLY  (JOHANNES  EARLY) 


127 


lie  had  arrived  in  this  country  about 
fifteen  or  twenty  years  before.  This 
family  ])rou.c:ht  with  them  a  tradition 
frequently  heard  before,  but  without 
corroborative  testimony  or  proof  that 
the  Early  family  originally  came  from 
Ireland,  having;  lied  thence  during  the 
wars  of  Cromwell. 

Henry  E.  Early  (Oehrle)  the  young- 
est son  of  the  family,  with  his  third 
brother,  came  to  this  coimtry  about 
1848.  l>oth  were  unmarried.  The 
older  of  the  two  commenced  the  busi- 
ness of  printing'  on  Arch  St.,  Phila. 
Vew  years  ago  they  still  retained  the 
original  spelling,  Oehrle.  Henry 
who  had  been  a  licentiate  of  the 
Evangelical  Association,  but  had  vol- 
untarily surrendered  his  license,  at 
that  time  resided  in  Camden,  N.  J. 
The  second  oldest  of  the  brothers,  to- 
gether with  a  cousin  John  Early,  had 
settled  at  Pittsburg,  1847.  Another 
brother,  Jacob,  had  come  to  America 
in  the  fifties  and  settled  at  Leetonia, 
Ohio.  Between  1880  and  1890  Charles 
Early,  one  of  this  man's  sons  if  we 
mistake  not,  was  a  resident  of  Lan- 
caster, l^enna.  He  died  there  some 
iifteen  years  ago.  Members  of  this 
famil}-  are  to  be  found  in  five  different 
states.  The  father  of  these  five  sons, 
who  had  been  a  soldier  under  Napol- 
eon, and  had  accompanied  him  on  his 
ill-starred  expedition  to  Russia,  fin- 
ally also  came  to  this  country  and 
died  at  the  residence  of  his  S(.)n  in 
<  )hi(). 

There  was  .1  David  Early,  a  Penn- 
>ylvania  Cerman,  residing  with  his 
son-in-law,  Mr.  Still,  about  three 
miles  east  of  Danville.  He  died  about 
1880.  Two  of  his  sons  were  Dunker 
preachers  in  Iowa.  His  two  daugh- 
ters, Mrs.  Still  and  \[vs.  Dyer  are 
still  residents  of  Montour  Co.,  Pa., 
the  former  near  Strawberry  Ridge, 
about  two  miles  northeast  of  Wash- 
ington ville  and  the  latter  a  few  miles 

west  of  Mooresburg.  He  may  be  a 
descendant  of  Thomas,  the  youngest 
son  of  Johannes  Oehrle,  although 
that  is  not  at  all  certain. 


Some  forty  or  fifty  years  ago  Sam- 
uel Early  was  a  resident  of  Strasburg. 
Eranklin  Co.  (?) — not  quite  sure 
which  Strasburg.  His  descendants 
are  found  throughout  Fulton  County, 
as  well  as  throughout  the  western 
part  of  Maryland.  They  may  possibly 
be  the  descendants  of  George,  the  old- 
est son  of  J.  Wm.  Early  Esq.,  who  had 
his  home  in  Centre  County,  about 
twenty  years,  from  1786  or  87  to  1807. 
He  subsequently  took  up  his  residence 
in  Bedford  County  and  removed 
to  Ohio  four  or  five  years  later.  In 
181 1  the  son  George  Earl}^  is  found  at 
Akestown  (Achestadtel)  now  Wil- 
liamsburg, Blair  County.  A  notice 
was  given  that  a  hearing  in  a  law 
suit,  was  to  tcke  place  at  his  house. 
This  would  indicate  that  he  was  a 
married  man  at  that  time.  That  is 
the  last  trace  of  him  we  have  ever 
found.  We  should  certainly  be  thank- 
ful to  anyone  who  would  be  able  to 
give  any  further  information  about 
the  man  and  should  be  very  glad  to 
hear  from  him.  This  completes  the 
list  of  those  wdio  are  certainly  of  Ger- 
man origin. 

The  family  of  Jacob  Early  (Ehrle) 
is  probably  the  most  numerous  of 
them  all.  The  writer  has  in  his  pos- 
session a  list  of  seventy  or  eighty  c^f 
those  bearing  the  name  of  E^rly  in 
his  possession.  The  larger  portion  of 
them  reside  in  Virginia,  but  many  of 
them  are  scattered  all  over  the  United 
States,  w^estw'ard  to  W'ashington  and 
Oregon.  There  are  two  others 
named  John  Early,  and  w'e  can  not 
possibh^  think  that  they  could  be 
one  and  the  same  person,  about  wdiose 
extraction,  we  are  altogether  uncer- 
tain. In  fact  there  may  be  three  or 
four  of  them.  In  Pentia.  Archives. 
John  Early,  Derry  Twq^.,  Cumberland 
Co.,  Pa.  and  Daniel  Early,  Shoemak- 
er,   are  among    the    taxables    between 

1780  and  1790.  The  name  of  John 
Early,     Strabaum     Twp.,     York    Co.. 

1 78 1  and  1782.  is  also  recorded  there. 
There  we  also  find  John  Early,  fourth 
class  militia,  Joseph  Culberts<.)n's 
Company,  July  i.  1781.     But  he  is  not 


128 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


located.  We  are  therefore  unable  to 
say  whether  this  last  John  E.  is  iden- 
tical with  one  of  the  other  two,  or 
whether  there  are  three  of  the  same 
name. 

In  the  same  Archives,  in  ^^'arran- 
tees  of  land  in  Armstrong  County, 
Pa.,  1801-1884,  we  find  Wm.  Early, 
July  II,  1850,  90  acres,  and  John  Early 
sr.,  Apr.  28,  1853,  400  acres.  This  is 
not  so  long  ago  that  it  should  be  easy 
to  gain  information,  but  so  far  we 
have  not  been  able  to  get  it.  We  can 
therefore  not  say  whether  these  are 
English,  German  or  Irish.  As  there 
was  also  an  Andrew  Early  there,  we 
are  inclined  to  think  that  this  family 
is  not  German. 

We  also  find  in  Chester  Co.  "Rates" 
John  Early,  freeman,  1767-1768:  Jere- 
miah Early,  freeman,  1779-1780.  As 
well  as  under  "Inmates"  Henry  Early, 
1781.  Some  years  ago  a  dealer  in  sec- 
ond hand  and  antiquated  books  and 
pamphlets,  ofifered  a  publication, 
'Teremiah  Early  and  his  Descend- 
;ints"  for  sale.  When  the  writer  sent 
(or  it  it  was  gone.  He  cannot,  there- 
!nie  say  whether  this  Jeremiah  Early 
was  the  one  in  Chester  County  or  not. 
I'ut  if  it  was  the  same  man.  it  is  alto- 
i.ether     probable,    that    like    the    Lin- 


colns,  he  came,  from  New  England  to 
Penna.  because  of  climate  and  greater 
religious  freedom. 

Pifteen  or  twenty  years  ago, Thomas 
Early  resided  at  Williamsport,  Pa. 
His  father,  whose  name  was  also 
Thomas,  had  been  a  resident  of  N.  Y. 
City.  His  two  sons  were  James  and 
Thomas.  When  the  latter  enlisted  in 
the  Union  army,  the  brothers  became 
separated.  The  whereabouts  of  James 
at  that  time  was  entirely  unknown,  if 
still  living.  Henry  W.  Early,  Chip- 
pewa Falls,  Mich.,  formerly  of  Wil- 
l.amsport,  his  brother  Dr.  Charles  E. 
Ridgway,  Pa.,  and  a  third  brother  in 
the  state  of  New  York,  are  not  of  Ger- 
man extraction.  There  are  also  Early 
families  (e.  g.  Thomas)  in  Philadel- 
phia and  Allentown  of  English  de- 
scent. 

There  is  another  family  of  Scotch- 
Irish  extraction  and  one  whose  na- 
tionality we  do  not  know  in  Balti- 
more,  Md- 

In  addition  to  these  there  is  a  family 
\-'lio  spell  their  name  Earley  in  In- 
diana. These  are  of  Irish  descent. 
Furtlicr  statements  in  regard  to  the 
family  of  John  Early  must  be  reserved 
for  a  future  occasion. 


Philadelphia's  Many  Firsts 


NOTE. — This  chronological  list  of  some 
of  the  instances  in  which  Philaclel,)hia  has 
figured  as  the  first  pioneer  or  now  stands 
first  in  point  of  importance  (subsequently 
reprinted  by  outsiders  in  somewhat  free 
and  easy  fashion)  was  first  compiled  by 
the  Philadelphia  Inquirer  several  years 
ago. 

1681. — The  first  pleasure  grounds  ever 
reserved  in  America  for  the  use  of 
of  the  people  were  laid  out  in  Wil- 
liam  Penn's  plan   in   Philadelphia. 

1085. — The  first  printing  press  in  this 
section,  and  the  second  in  the  coun- 
try, was  set  up  in  Philadelphia,  an 
earlier  one  having  been  started  in 
Caml)ridge,   Mass. 


1687. — The  oldest  business  house  now 
in  existence  in  America  (the  Fran- 
cis Perot's  Sons  Malting  Company) 
was  begun  on  what  is  now  Front 
street,   below  Walnut. 

j^)()0. — The  first  American  paper  mill 
was  erected  b}^  Samuel  Rittenhouse 
on  a  tributary  of  the  Wissahickon. 

1710.  —  Philadelphia  laid  her  first 
claim  to  that  supremacy  in  Amer- 
ican shijibuilding  which  (emphasiz- 
ed since  1830  by  the  founding  of 
Cramps  '  colossal  shipyard  and 
others)  has  earned  for  her  a  reputa- 
tion unequalled  on  this  hemisphere 
and  unsurpassed  throughout  the 
world. 


PHILADELPHIA'S   MANY   FIRSTS 


129 


1/12. — The  Common  Ct^uncil's  reso- 
lution passed  this  year,  to  the  ef- 
fect that  "A  Workhouse  Be  Imme- 
diately Hired  to  Imploy  poor 
P'sons  &  sufficient  P'sons  appoint- 
ed to  kep  them  at  Work,"  led,  in 
time,  to  the  erection  of  the  present 
Blockley  Hospital,  than  which  no 
larger  is  known  to  exist  ^on  this 
continent. 

1718.  —  The  Philadelphia  Common 
Council  made  the  first  purchase  on 
record,  in  these  States,  of  a  fire  en- 
gine  for  public  purposes. 

1719. — The  American  Weekly  Mer- 
cury (second  only  to  the  Boston 
News-Leader  in  point  of  time)  ap- 
peared  in   Pliiladelj)hia. 


1728. — John 
the  bank 


Bartram    commenced    on 
)f  the   Schuvlkill   the  first 


of  America's  botanical  gfardens. 

1730. — Thomas  Godfrey,  of  Philadel- 
phia, invented  the  Alariner's  Quad- 
rant, subsequently  misnamed  Had- 
ley's  Quadrant. 

1731. — The  mother  of  all  the  North 
American  subscription  libraries"  (to 
use  the  words  of  the  founder  him- 
self) was  originated  by  Benjamin 
f^Vanklin. 

1735. — American  type  founding'  made 
its  debut  as  an  art  in  the  shop  of 
Christopher  Sauer,  in  Germantown. 
and  it  was  carried  on  as  a  regular 
business  in  this  city  immediately  af- 
ter the  War  of  the  Revolution  by 
John    r>aine. 

1737. — "The  Union  Fire  Company,  of 
Philadelphia,"'  the  first  volunteer 
fire  company  in  America,  was  or- 
ganized on  December  6. 

1740-43. — Sauer  brought  out  an  edi- 
tion of  the  Bible  in  German,  the 
first  book  in  a  European  language 
])rinted  in   America. 

1743. — The  first  institution  devoted  to 
science  in  America.  "The  American 
Philosophical  Institution,"  was  orig- 
inated  in      Franklin's   "Pro]-)Osal    for 


promoting  useful  knowledge  among 
the  British  Plantations  in  America." 
under  the  date  of  May  14,  1743. 

1749. — The  first  company  of  American 
stage  players  was  organized  here- 
early  in  1749. 

1752.  —  The  Pennsylvania  Hospital 
was  opened  in  Febraury,  1752.  Not 
until  July  27,  1773,  was  the  corner- 
stone laid  for  the  New  York  Hos- 
pital. » 

1752.  —  Fratdvlin  demonstrated  that 
lightning  and  electricity  were  the 
same ;  and  set  up  on  his  own  house 
the  first  lightning  rod  used  in  the 
world. 

1753. — Pass  and  Stowe  made  for  the 
State  House  the  first  bell  ever  cast 
in  this  country. 

1755. — A  charter  was  obtained  in  1755 
for  the  College  or  Academy  of 
Philadelphia,  which  had  already 
been  in  existence  for  fifteen  years. 
On  Ma}^  7th  of  this  same  year  the 
governors  of  the  College  of  the  Pro- 
vince of  New  York  received  their 
charter  for  their  "King's  College." 
which  had  been  open  for  twelve 
months  with  a  faculty  of  one 
instructor. 

1765- — Dr.  John  Morgans  Discourse 
"Upon  the  Institution  of  Aledical 
Schools  in  America,"  delivered  in 
the  College  of  Philadelphia.  May  30. 
1765,  consituted  the  formal  opening 
of  the  first  medical  school,  and  the 
speaker  filled  the  first  medical  pro- 
fessorship created  in  this  country. 
In  consec|uence  whereof  a  "Com- 
mencement" was  held  three  years 
later  (in  1768),  at  which  medical 
honors  were  conferred,  the  first  in 
point  of  time  in  America. 

1766. — The  first  permanent  theatre 
house  in  America  was  built  here  in 
Southwark. 

1772. — On  May  i.  1772,  the  fir^t  Tam- 
many Society,  the  parent  and  exem- 
plar of  all  subsequent  ones,  was  or- 
ganized in   this  city. 


130 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


1773. — The  American  Medical  Society 
was  founded  in  the  city  by  students 
who  came  from  different  parts  of 
the  Union  to  attend  the  medical 
lectures  here. 

1775. — The  first  American  pianoforte 
was  manufactured  in  1775  by  John 
Behrent,  of  Philadelphia. 

1775. — In  the  war  against  British  im- 
portations, started  in  1775,  William 
Calverly,  of  this  city,  set  about  mak- 
ing American  carpets,  a  local  indus- 
tury  destined  in  time  to  fulfill  the 
aim  of  its  founder  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  at  the  present  day  Phila- 
delphia manufactures  more  car- 
pets than  the  whole  of  Great  Bri- 
tain. 

1777. — The  first  United  States  flag- 
was  made  here  on  Arch  street,  by 
Elizabeth   Ross. 

1780. — The  Pennsylvania  Bank,  the 
first  public  bank  in  the  United 
States,  was  organized  here  by  Rob- 
ert Morris. 

1784. — The  first  daily  newspaper  ever 
issued  in  America  was  the  Philadel- 
phia Daily  Advertiser,  first  brought 
out  in   1784. 

1785. — The  first  agricultural  society 
on  this  continent  was  "The  Phila- 
delphia Society  for  Promoting  Agri- 
culture," formed  by  Dr.  Rush.  Rob- 
ert Morris.  Richard  Peters  anti 
others  in  1785. 

1786. — On  July  26,  1786,  the  first  ves- 
sel successfully  propelled  by  steam 
was  operated  on  the  Delaware,  at 
Philadelphia,  by  John  Fitch.  The 
much-vaunted  experiment  on  the 
Collect,  in  New  York,  did  not  take 
place  until  ten  years  later. 

1790. — The  Law  School  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania,  the  oldest 
law  school  in  America,  was  found- 
ed in  T790.  with  Justice  James  Wil- 
son, of  the  United  States  Supreme 
Court,  as  ])rofessor  of  law. 

i~f^)2. — The  first  United  States  Mint 
was    cstablshcMJ    here  bv  act  of  Con- 


gress, approved  by  President  Wash- 
ington, April  2,  1792,  and  the  first 
United  States  coins  were  struck 
here  the  same  year. 

1799. — The  first  water  works  in  this 
country  were  commenced  in  this 
city,  May  2,  1799. 

1802. — "The  Law  Library  of  the  City 
of  Philadelphia"  was  organized  for 
the  purpose  of  maintaining  a  law 
library  for  the  use  of  its  members ; 
none  of  the  kind  existed  at  the  time. 

1805. — The  Pennsylvania  Academy  of 
the  Fine  Arts,  the  pioneer  of  all  art 
institutions  in  this  country  was 
founded  in  1805,  and  chartered 
March  28  of  the  following  year. 

1809. — For  the  first  time  in  the  Uni- 
ted States,  a  railroad  track  was  laid 
down  for  experimental  purposes  in 
a  yard  near  the  Bull's  Uead  Tavern, 
in  Philadelphia,  in  1809. 

1812. — In  this  year  steam  works  for 
supplying  the  cit}'  with  water  were 
begun  in  Fairmount  Park;  and  in 
1819  Councils  erected  water  power 
works  and  for  a  long  time  remain- 
ed the  only  works  of  their  kind  in 
the   States. 

1818. -The  present  leading  firm  among 
the  chemical  manufacturers  of 
America,  Powers  &  Weightman,  of 
Philadelphia,  sprang  from  a  small 
beginning  made  this  year. 

1821. — The  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy  dates  its  birth  from  1821. 
Its  present  six-storied  building  is 
the  largest  of  its  kind  knowti. 

1827. —  The  Penns3dvania  Horticul- 
tural Society  was  the  first  of  all 
such  societies  in  America,  having 
been  founded  in  November.  1827. 
by  a  number  of  Philadelphians  un- 
der the  leadership  of  Dr.  lames 
.Meade. 

1829.— Mr.  G.  A.  Shyrock,  of  this  city, 
earned  the  distinction  of  being  the 
first  to  make  the  paper  and  boards 
bv       machincrv     from     straw     and 


PHILADELPHIA'S  MANY   FIRSTS 


131 


1S31.— In  this  year  Matthias  \V.  Bald- 
win founded  here  what  has  become 
the  largest  locomotive  works  in  the 
world. 

1843. — This  vcar  saw  the  first  start  of 
Henry  Disston  &  Son's  saw,  tool, 
steel  and  file  works,  than  which  no 
more  im;)ortant  will  be  found  in 
this  or  probably  any  other  country. 

1844. — The  city  purchased  for  the  use 
of  the  public  the  "  Lemon  Hill  '" 
property,  the  nucleus  of  our  modern 
Fairmount  T^ark,  by  far  the  largest 
park  within  the  limits  of  any  mu- 
nicipality. 

1847. — Abraham  Cox  founded  the  co- 
lossal and  unrivaled  works  of  the 
stove  company  that  bore  his  name. 

1852. — For  the  first  time  in  our  his- 
tory the  degree  of  medicine  was 
conferred  upon  women  at  the  I'\'- 
male  Medical  College  (now  ^^  o- 
man's  Medical  College)  of  Phila- 
delj)hia. 

1853. — "The  Northern  Home,"  found- 
ed in  this  city  in  1853,  was  the  first 
institution  in  this  broad  land  when 
the  Civil  War  broke  out  to  open  its 
doors  to  the  children  of  those  who 
desired  to  enlist  and  to  build  a  spe- 
cial home  for  the  orphans  of  our 
dead  soldiers  and  sailors. 

1857. — The  Numismatic  and  Anticjua- 
rian  Society,  whose  ranks  have 
since  been  joined  by  the  most  illus- 
trious men  of  the  two  hemispheres, 
and  whose  scale  of  measurement  for 
coins  and  medals  is  now  in  general 
use  throughout  Europe,  was  organ- 
ized l:)y  a  few  Philadel])hians  on  De- 
cember 2"]. 

'^59- — Foundation  of  the  George  ^". 
Cresson  Company,  a  plant  for  the 
manufacture  of  power  transmitting 
machinery  without  a  peer  in  the 
Cnion. 

1862. — The  Union  J.eague  Club  of 
Philadeli)hia  ratified  its  articles  anfl 
came    into    being    on    December    27, 


1 862.  T  h  e  formation  of  the  New 
York  League  Club,  organized  two 
months  later,  was  effected  almost 
wholly  at  the  suggestion,  and  cer- 
tainly with  the  immediate  advice 
and  guiding  aid  of  the  Philadelphia 
League. 

1870. —  Preparations  were  made  in  this 
year  for  the  erection  of  the  monu- 
mental Ridgway  Branch  of  the 
Philadelphia  Library,  whose  rare 
collection  of  reference  Ijooks  is  un- 
surpassed, if  it  e\en  be  equaled,  in 
America. 

1871. — On  August  10.  1871,  was  com- 
menced the  new  City  Hall  of  Phila- 
delphia, at  ]iresent  the  largest  mu- 
nicipal edifice,  if  not  the  largest  edi- 
fice of  any  kind,  in  America. 

1873. — Philadelphia's  Masonic  Tem- 
ple, founded  this  year  and  finished 
in  1883  is  the  most  complete  (and 
the  most  costly)  building  for  the 
puri)oses  of  any  secret  order  on  this 
continent. 

1874. — This  year  ushered  the  Phila- 
delphia Zoological  Garden,  a  collec- 
tion of  living  animals  acknowledged 
to  be  by  far  the  best  in  this  coun- 
try. 

1878. — The  third  dental  school  in  con- 
nection with  an  American  univers- 
ity (next  to  Harvard,  1867,  and  to 
Michigan.  1875)  was  organized  here 
early  in  1878,  and  now  owns  the 
largest  building  in  the  world  solely 
devoted  to  technical  dental  instruc- 
tion. 

1880. — Ground  was  cleared  this  year 
for  the  construction  of  the  Pennsyl- 
\ania  Railroad  depot  at  I>road  St., 
this  city — a  structure  unapproache<l 
1)\-  any  in  this  country  for  architec- 
lural  magnificence  and  ampleness  of 
accommodations,  unless  it  be  by  an- 
other Philadelphia  terminal,  that  of 
the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Rail- 
r*  )ad. 

i8()o. — .\t  an  informal  meeting  held  on 
November  7.  i8qo.  the  idea  of  creat- 
ing a  general  exchange  in  this  city 
was  discussed;  and  on  May   14  fol- 


132 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


lowing-  the  company  was  organized 
which  built  the  present  Philadel- 
phia Bourse,  the  largest  in  any 
country  and  the  only  one  in  this. 

[892. — Founding  of  the  Wistar  Insti- 
tute of  Anatomy,  the  first  of  its 
kind  in  America. 

1899. — On  January  i  work  was  start- 
ed   on    the    tower    of    Philadelphia's 


City  Hall,  the  larg-est  clock  in 
America  and  the  tallest  tower  in  the 
world. 

1899. — In  this  year  also  the  city  orig- 
inated and  carried  out  a  National 
Export  Exposition,  the  first  of  its 
nature  in  the  commercial  history  of 
the  United  States. 


A  Rhine  Legend 

{From  the  German) 


EN  long  years  had  passed  sprang  on  the  steed  which  the  hea- 
since  the  Emperor  had  venly  messenger  had  brought,  and 
ridden  out  of  his  favorite  sped  over  mountain  and  valley  with 
city,  at  the  head  of  his  marvelous  rapidity,  arriving  at  Aix- 
army,  to  go  and  fight  the  la-Chapelle  just  as  the  third  and  last 
heathen,  and  now,  i  n-  night  of  Hildegarde's  respite  was 
stead  of  his  return,  dark  drawing-  to  a  close.  Instead  of  enter- 
rumors  of  defeat  and  ing  his  palace,  however,  the  Emperor 
death  spread  throughout  the  whole  dismounted  and  passed  into  the  silent 
country.  Convinced  of  the  truth  of  cathedral,  where  he  seated  hini- 
ihese  reports,  the  lords  of  the  empire  self  in  his  great  golden  chair,  with  his 
assembled  to  discuss  what  had  better  sword  across  his  knees, _  as  was  his 
be  done;  and,  after  much  deliberation,  wont  when  dispensing  justice.  There 
sent  an  embassy  to  the  Empress  Hil-  he  waited  until  the  sacristan  came  to 
degarde.  They  bade  her,  for  her  sub-  preoare  the  church  for  the  wedding, 
jects'  sake,  choose  another  husband  to  which  was  to  take  place  soon  after 
rule  the  nation  instead  of  Charle-  sunrise.  This  man,  startled  by  the 
magne,  who  would  never  be  seen  sight  of  the  imposing  figure  seated 
again.  Hildegarde  at  first  indignantly  upon  the  imperial  throne,  and  think^ 
refused  to  consider  the  proposal,  but  ing  it  an  a':»r)arition.  staggered,  and 
finally,  seeing  the  justice  of  their  would  have  fallen,  had  he  not  steadied 
wishes,  she  considered  for  the  good  of  himself  by  the  rope  of  the  great  bell, 
the  country  to  marry  any  man  they  which,  thus  suddenly  set  in  motion, 
recommendfed;  stipulating  however  sent  peal  after  oeal  through  the  awak- 
that  she  should  be  allowe'd  to  spend  ening  city.  The  people  of  Alix-la- 
three  more  days  in  strict  solitude.  Chanelle.  startled  by  the  untimely 
mourning  for  her  beloved  husband,  and  frantic  ringing,  rushed  out  of 
whom  she  would  never  behold  again,  their  houses  to  see  what  had  occurred. 
Well  pleased  with  this  answer,  the  and  as  they  entered  the  church  they 
lords  withdrew,  and  began  making  utterd  loud  cries  of  joy,  for  there  sat 
preparations  for  the  coming  marriage,  Charlemagne  in  all  his  wonted  state. 
Avhile  Hildegarde  wept  for  Charle-  These  cries  soon  reached  the  ears  of 
magne,  who,  by  the  way,  was  not  at  the  unhappy  Hildegarde,  ,  who,  still, 
all  dead,  but  very  busy  fighting  the  dissolved  in  tears,  and  deeming  they 
heathen,  whom  he  had  almost  entirely  were  intended  to  Avelcome  her  un- 
subdued. During  the  night,  while  known  bridegroom,  shrank  ])ack  in 
poor  Hildegarde  wept,  an  angel  of  the  fear;  but  her  sorrow  was  changed  to 
Eord  suddenly  appeared  to  Charle-  boundless  joy  when  she  saw  her  bc- 
magne  and  bade  him  return  in  hot  loved  husband  once  more,  and  heard, 
haste  to  Aix  la  Chapelle,  if  he  would  how  Providence  had  miraculously  in- 
not  lose  both  wife  and  his  sceptre  at  terfered  to  sa\e  her  from  a  hated  see- 
once.       Thus     warned,     the    Emperor  ond  marriage. 


13.^ 


To  the  Friends  and  Patrons  of  Schools  and  of  the 
Improvement  of  Youth 


1 

f^c 

B 

H 

HE  Subscribers  being- Trus- 
tees for  a  School  and 
and  Schoolhouse  in  Up- 
per Hanover  Township 
in  the  County  of  Mont- 
gomery, Pa.,  respectfully 
shew — That  in  the  Year 
1734  a  number  of  German 
Families,  emigrants  from  Silesia,  set- 
tled in  the  upper  parts  of  the  county 
nf  fhilarlclphia  now  Montgomery 
where  they  are  distinguished  and 
known  among  their  Neighbors  by  the 
name  of  Schwenkf elders  from  one  of 
their  celebrated  Teachers  i^f  that 
name— That  these  first  Settlers  and 
their  Progeny  successively  kept  up 
among  them  as  good  Schools  and 
Masters  of  Schools  as  could  be  ol) 
tained— That  in  the  Year  1764  they 
raised  the  Subcription  among  them- 
selves a  Fund  of  near  Eight  hundred 
Pounds — by  the  interest  whereof  and 
some  free  Contributions  they  support- 
ed for  several  years  a  good  School  for 
reading  and  writing  the  English  and 
Gorman  Languages  and  Arithmetic 
until  the  Debtors  to  their  Fund  began 
to  ])ay  their  Interest  and  at  last  paid 
the  principal  Debt  in  depreciated  Pa- 
per which  they  have  lodged  in  the 
General  Loan  Ofifice  and  i^  now  reduc- 
ed to  a  very  low  Value- -That  never- 
theless imnressed  with  the  necessity 
and  usefulness  of  good  Schools  in  the 
Country  when  Ignorance  and  Immo- 
rality began  to  i)revail  and  stani])  the 
Caricatura  of  our  Yonth  they  have 
g-one  on,  as  much  as  possible,  with 
keeping  Schools  duiing  the  War  and 
other  Convulsions  of  the  times  and 
have  lately  at  their  own  exuense  erect- 
ed a  new  Schoolhouse  and  Dwelling- 
house  for  its  Master  and  engaged  a 
Man  of  good  learning  and  fair  Charac- 
ter to  be  the  Master  of  that  School  in 
whicli   Cliildrt-n  of  Parents  of  an\-  reli- 


gious dencMuination,  English  and 
(German,  rich  or  poor,  may  be  taught 
reading,  writing  and  cyphering  and 
some  or  other  young  Men  of  genius 
instructed  in  Mathematics  and  the 
learned  languages  and  trained  up  to 
become  LTshers  or  Assistants  to  this  or 
any  other  School  in  this  Country- 
Catechisms  and  other  doctrinal  Books 
t)f  any  particular  religious  Society 
shall  not  be  introduced  in  this  School. 
Parents  may  form  the  Minds  of  their 
Children  in  their  own  way  or  commit 
them  to  the  Clergy  of  the  Church  or 
Meeting  to  which  they  belong — The 
Master  of  the  School  shall  neverthe- 
less use  his  utmost  endeavors  to  im- 
press on  their  tender  Minds  the  Fear 
of  C}nd.  the  love  of  their  Country  and 
of  all  Mankind. 

This  well  meant  Plan  of  a  School  is 
undertaken  by  a  few  Persons  of  but 
moderate  Estates  on  whom  the  Ex- 
l)enditures  of  Supporting  and  improv- 
ing it  will  fall  too  heavy — The  Trus- 
tees flatter  themselves  with  the  hopes 
it  wdll  meet  with  some  encouragement 
from  the  benevolent  who  have  the 
good  of  the  growing  Youth  of  the 
Country  at  heart  by  contributing  their 
mite  towards  this  pur[)ose.  ^Ve  have 
to  this  end  impowered  our  Friends. 
A.  c^-  P..  in  the  City  of  Philadelphia 
and  its  Environs  and  our  I'^riends  O. 
I),  iv  E.  in  the  Country  or  any  one  of 
them  to  wait  in  their  ])laces  nn  the 
Persons  to  wliom  this  address  is  dir- 
ected to  solicit  their  .Assistance  and 
receive  what  shall  be  oflFered  to  them 
on    that    behalf. 

Philada.   Comity.   March    170T. 

*This  circular  letter,  the  i)ro|)eit.v  of  the 
Schwenkfeld  Historical  Library,  were  pre- 
pared by  the  trustees  of  the  l.,atlii  school 
conducted  in  the  so-called  Hosensack 
Academy. 


134 


The  Introduction  of  Wire  Cables 


HE  late  John  A.  Roebling, 
one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished civil  engineers 
and  scientists  of  his  day, 
conceived  the  idea  of 
spanning  the  largest  riv- 
ers with  bridges  support- 
ed by  wire  cables.  To 
that  end  he  directed  the  labor  of  his 
life.  He  established  a  wire  rope 
works  on  a  small  scale  at  Saxonburg, 
in  Butler  county,  and  by  special  grace 
he  got  permission  from  the  Canal 
Board  in  1842  or  1843  to  put  a  wire 
cable  on  Plane  No.  3.  It  was  put  on 
in  the  fall  of  the  year.  The  manufac- 
turer of  the  hempen  ropes  in  Pitts- 
I)urg,  backed  by  a  powerful  political 
and  interested  influence,  endeavored 
to  prevent  the  introduction  of  the 
wire  cable.  The  superintendent  and 
employes  on  the  road  partook  of  that 
opposition.  If  the  wire  cable  was  a 
success  it  would  supersede  the  profi- 
table hempen-rope  industry.  The 
cable,  however,  was  put  on  the  plane, 
and  in  a  few  days  one  of  the  attaches 
cut  the  cable  in  two.  Mr.  Roebling 
found  his  cable  stretched  on  the 
])lane — condemned.  He  came  to  the 
collector's  office  and  asked  an  inter- 
view with  me  in  the  parlor.  He  stat- 
ed with  tears  of  grief,  if  not  agony, 
that  he  was  a  ruined  man.  The  labor 
of  his  life,  the  hope  of  his  fame  and 
fortune  were  lost  forever.  His  cable 
was  condemned  by  the  great  Com- 
monwealth of  Pennsylvania.  It  was 
condemned,  not  because  it  was  worth- 
less but  because  it  would  supersede 
the  hempen-rope.  "Can  you  not  do 
something  for  me?"  he  asked."  Why, 
-Mr.  Roebling,  I  would  do  anything  in 
the  world  for  you,  but  what  can  I 
do?"  "You  have  influence  with  the 
Canal  Board,  and,  perhaps,  you  can 
get  me  another  opportunity  to  test 
my  cable?" 

Just  at  that  moment  there  was  a 
ran  at  the  door,  and,  in  answer  to  the 
call,  who  stepped  in  but  John  B.  But- 
ler,   the    President    of    the    Board    of 


Canal  Commissioners,  and  after  the 
usual  .salutation,  I  said  to  Mr.  Roeb- 
ling, "Just  state  your  case  to  Mr.  But- 
ler." Mr.  Roebling  stated  his  case 
in  very  few  words,  for  he  was  a  man 
of  few  words..  Mr.  Butler  listened 
attentively  until  he  got  through,  when 
he  said:  "Roebling,  have  you  confi- 
dence in  your  cable?"  The  answer 
was,  "  I  have  sir."  "Then,"  said  Mr. 
P)Utler,"  I  now  appoint  you  superin- 
tendent of  Plane  No.  3,  with  the  cred- 
it of  the  Commonwealth  for  all  fhe 
material  you  may  need;  superinten- 
dent of  the  depots  at  Johnstown  and 
Hollidaysburg  for  all  the  machinery 
you  may  want ;  the  appointment  of  all 
such  mechanics  and  laborers  as  you 
may  require  in  the  reconstruction  of 
the  plane — all  this  at  the  expense  of 
the  Commonwealth.  You  will  com- 
mence immediately  after  the  close  of 
navigation  and  have  everything  ready 
necessary  for  the  spring  business.  You 
will  superintend  the  plane  yourself 
for  the  first  month,  and  if  your  cable 
is  a  success  we  will  put  it  on  all  the 
planes  on  the  road,  and  this  is  all  I 
can  do  for  you."  Mr.  Roebling  did 
not  burst  forth  in  the  usual  laudation 
(^f  thanks,  of  God  bless  3^ou  and  pros- 
per you,  etc.,  but  this  time,  with  tears 
of  joy  rolling  down  his  cheeks,  his 
only  reply  was,  "God  is  good !"  I  shall 
never  forget  the  reply.  He  gave 
thanks  to  that  Source  from  whom  all 
blessings  flow.  He  left  with  a  joyful 
heart  and  greatly  encouraged.  The 
plane  was  reconstructed,  ready  for  the 
sirring'  business.  The  cable  worke<l 
like  a  charm. 

During  the  summer  wire  cables 
were  put  on  all  the  planes.  By  these 
planes  Mr.  Roebling  had  an  opportun- 
ity of  testing  the  flexibility  and 
strength  of  his  cables.  The  heavy 
weight  of  cars  and  section  boats  on 
those  cables  gave  them  a  fair  test  of 
strength  and  durability.  I  mention 
this  fact  that  the  planes  on  the  Port- 
age Railroad  were  the  means  of  the 
wonderful      enterprise     of     wire-cable 


INTRODUCTIOX    OF   WIRE   CABLES 


135 


liridgcs.  for  Mr.  Rocbling^  frequently 
told  me  since  that,  had  it  not  been 
for  the  interview  in  my  parlor  and  the 
authority  he  got  there  to  reconstruct 
a  plane  to  establish  and  test  the  virtue 
of  his  wire  cable,  he  never  would  ha\'e 
attem])ted  it  again,  being  condemned 
by   the   Commonwealth.        So   the   old 


Portage  is  entitled  to  the  credit  of  all 
these  great  wire  bridges,  notably  the 
l)rooklyn  Bridge. —  Quotation  from 
address  delivered  by  Hon.  James 
Potts. 


From    Swank's    Progressive 
svlvania. 


Penii- 


Dialect  and  Literary  Gems 


Eiii  Psaliu  des  Lebens 

Klaget   nicht   in   diistren   Zeilen 
Dass  das  Leben  sei  ein  Traum 
Dass  die  Seelen  die  hier  weilen 
Selbst  vergehen  mit  Zeit  uud  Raum. 

Denn  das  Leben,  selbst  auf  Erden, 
Ueber's  Grab  den   sieg  verspricht. 
Du   bist  Staub  und   Staub  sollst  werdeu, 
1st  der  Sele  Urtheil  nicht. 

Xoch  Vergniigen  oder  Sorgen 
1st  des  Daseins  Losung  nicht: 
Sonderu  Streben  dass  wir  morgen 
Treuer  stehen  unserer  Pflicht. 

In  dem  heftigen  Kampf  des  Lebens 
Kamphe  muthig  alle  Zeit; 
Alles  Anderes  ist  vergebens 
Wenn's  da  fehlt  an  Muth  im  Streit. 

Zwar  die   Kunst   ist  schwer,  und   fliichtig 
Tmmer  ist  die  Lebenszeit; 
Und    die    Herzensuhr   mahnt   tiichtig, 
Fiir  den  Tod  zu  sein  bereit. 

Baue  auf  die   Zukunft  nimmer; 
Setze  dran  die  eigene   Haut; 
.rage  nach   dem   Gute   immer, 
Immerhin  auf  Gott  vertraut. 

Manche   Helden   die   im   Leben 
Schon  erzielten  Gliick  und  Ehr; 
Haben   uns   den   Trost  gegeben. 
ITnd  die   wunderschone   Lehr: 

Dass  wenn  Jemand  hier  auf  .Erden 
.Mocht'  dem  Gliick  sein  Leben  weihn, 
Kann   er  trotz  sehr  viel   Beschwerden, 
Edel,  hold  und  gliicklich  sein. 

Desshalf  lasst  ans  stets  im  Leben 
F^leissig,  muthig,  eifrich  sein; 
Kampfeu  immerfort  und  streben, 
Harrend   auf  das   Sammien-ein. 

From  the  English  of  Longfellow. — A.   S.   B 

4*     4"     4" 

Djis   .Miidflu'ii  >on  F«n't  Heur>" 

Von   Dr.   H.   H.    Pick.  Cincinnat:.   O. 

"Die  roten   Teiifel   nah'n  dem  Fort, 

Vom   weisseii   Schuft   gefiihret! 
Schnell,    raumt    die   off'ne.    Siedlung   dort, 
TJringt   Weil)  und  Kind  an  sichern  OrtI" 
Oer  Oberst    Kommandieret. 


"Was   faselt  doch   von   brit'schem    Schutz 

Uns  Gii'ty,  der  Verrater? 
Wir  bieten  der  Belag'rung  Trutz 
So  lang  dieWaffen  etwas  nutz! 

Pluch  sei  dem  Attentater!" 

Die  Horde  stiirmt,  doch  Schuss  auf  Schus.s 
Kracht  ihr  gar  scharf  ent  gegen; 

Und  mauche  tiick'sche  Rot  haut  muss 

Sich  bin  der  Kuge  herben  Kuss 
Im  Tode  niederlegen. 

Doch  weh!"  Am  Zundkraut  es  gebricht, 

Bald  wird  der  Vorrat  enden'" 
Voll,  Angst  der  Kommandant  es  spricht, 
"Wird   flugs   uns  frische  Zufuhr  nioht, 

Sind   wir  in   Feindeshanden, 

"Zwar  liegt,  wodort  die  Mauern   stehn, 

Ein   Fasschen   noch  verstecket, 
Doch  miisst'  dem  Tod  ins  Auge  sehn, 
Wer  ans  dem  Thore  wollte  gehn, 
Wenn  ihn  der  Feind  ent  decket!" 

Ein   Madchen   hort's,  sie   ruft  geschwind; 

Lasst  mich  nur  dafiir  sorgen!" 
Sie  stiirtz  hinaus,  flink  wie  der  Wind, 
Und,  eh'der  Gegner  sich  besinnt, 

Hat's  Pulver  sie  geborgen. 

Sie  tragt  zuriiek  im  flucht'  gen  Lauf 
Den   Schatz   so   hoch   willkommen. 
Da  blitzt  das  Feuern  wieder  auf, 
Und  wie  auch  tobt  der  Wilden  Hauf, 
Das  Fort  wird  nicht  genommen. 

Die  Maid,  sie  war  von  deutschem  B!ut, 

Das  wollen  wir  ermessen. 
Weill  opfern  Manner  Leib  und  Gut, 
Doch  auch  des  Weibes  Heldenmut 

Werd'    nimmermehr    vergesseu. 

*Die  geschilderte  Begebenheit  trug  sich 
im  .Jahre  1777  zu,  als  eine  Indianerbande 
unter  Anfiihrung  des  weissen  Renegaten 
Simon  Girty  das  Fort  Henry,  unser  heuti- 
ges  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  belagerte.  Der  Name 
des  wackeren  Madchens  war  Elizabeth 
Zane. 

From    Pedagogische   Mouatshefte  Nov.   1901. 


136 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


YOST     Y  0  D  E  R 

By    Cyrus    Elder.    Johnstown,    Pa. 

Yost  Yoder  was  a  sadly  worried  man; 

The  witches  rode  his  dappled  mare  o'nights, 

.•\nd  left  her  flecked  and  stained  with  mire 

and  foam, 
Distressed,  and  all  unfitted  for  the  plow; 
The  witches  dried  untimely  his  best  cows, 
And  his  fat  shoats  died  with  a  strange  dis- 
ease; 
His  two  year  heifer,  ready  for  the  knife. 
The    witches    shot  to    death    with    balls    of 

hair — 
Der  Bixey  Moyer  found  them  in  her  paunch. 

The  take-off  troubled  long  his  eldest  child, 
And,    cured    of    this,    the    lad    went    nearly 

blind. 
While  naught  would  help    until    old  Granny 

Ream 
Touched    with    tlie    pot-lid    his    weak    eyes. 

and  said 
The  words,  and  healed  him:    but  at    last  he 

died. 
On  every  side  of  him  Yost  Yoder  saw 
Witch-signs,  and   evil   omens  haunted  him 
At  table,  in  the  house,  and  in  the  fields, 
.\nd  made  his  life  a  burden;  yet  he  spoke 
Of  this,  his  trouble,  to  no  living  soul. 

Hedged  in  by  witchcraft  and  by  sorcery 
The    season's    wonders    were  as    naught    to 

him; 
Spring,     with     its    infinite    tints    of    tender 

green. 
Decked  the  far  forests  and  the  inter-vales; 
Blown  from  the  blooming  crab-trees,  sweet- 
er scents 
Than    Summer    flowers    yield,    filled  all  the 

air; 
And    upward     folding     wooded     height    on 

height. 
Revealing  here  and  there  a  field  or  farm 
The  Alleghenies  rose  more  far  and  faint, 
['"'ading  until  they  mingled  with  the  sky. 
Which  seemed  an  ocean  lying  vast  and  still, 
Where    cloud-ships    slowly    sailed    into  the 

sun. 
The  joy  of  earth   tliat   Heaven   is  so  near 
The  bee  felt,  and    the    bird,    and    the    young 

lamb 
leaped  in  earth-gladness;  beauty  and  mirth 
Of  nature  overflowed;  yet  flowed  thry  not 
For   the   grave   race   of   men   who   tilled   the 

soil. 
Tasting    its    fruits    with     gross     corporeal 

sense. 
To     whose     accustomed     cares     YotI    Yoder 

made 
Addition  of  the  burden  that  he  bore — 
A  secret  told  unto  no  living  soul. 


The  brethren  held  him  as  a  Christian  man, 
And  every  Sunday  he  went  forth  to  hear 
Old  Father  Miller,  who  made  it  a  boast 
His  back  had  never  rubbed  a  colleae  wall. 
Preaching     the     Gospel     in     most     homely 

words; 
He  ate,  at  liebes-mohl,  the  paschal  lamb. 
And    washed    the    brethren's    feet,  and  they 

his  own. 
And    kissed    them,    joining     flowing     beard 

with  beard; 
And  followed  not  the  fashions  of  the  world. 
But  were  his  home-spun  clothes  of  ancient 

shape. 
And    wide-rimmed    hat;    and  in    his    roomy 

house 
Were    found    no     carpets,    and    no    modern 

chairs, 
But  polished  boards  and  benches  round  the 

walls. 
Here  often  met  the  brethren  for  prayers, 
The  elders  leading,  each  one  in  some  set 
And  formal  phrase,  said  o'er  and  o'er  again. 
Till    each    did    know    by    heart    the    other's 

prayer. 
And  Yost,  when  called  on,  spoke  with  trem- 
bling voice. 
Inaudible,   save  here   and   there   a   word. 
As  avighkeit.  and  rechtigkeit.  and  amen. 

He  knew,  for  he  had  heard  so.  and  believed 
That  God  was  great — was  far  more  power- 
ful 
Than  Satan;   that  as  Father  Snyder  said, 
His   people   stood   upon   a   rock   secure. 
While  waves  of  sin  did  break  beneath  their 

feet ; 
And  yet  it  seemed  that  God  was  far  awav. 
And  that  the  devil  had  power  in  the  world. 
And     gave    his     witches     power     upon    the 

saints; 
And    why    this    should  be    so    he    could    not 

guess ; 
It  worried  him  and  darkened  all  his  mind, 
And  made  his  life  a  burden  tliat  he  bore 
[n  silence,  year  by  year,  and  labored  on. 
For  he  had  still  some  pressing  work  to  do; 
But    when    the    sprouty    meadow     lot    was 

drained. 
The  clearing  fenced,  his  last  gate  fully  paid. 
And  the  crop  harvested,  he  took  a  rope 
And   hung  himself  behind   the  smoke-house 

door : 
So  made  an  end  of  trouble.  i 

NOTE — We  trust  the  readers  of  this 
lioetic  tale  will  not  think  to  end  trouble 
by  "Jumping  out  of  the  frying  pan  into  the 

fire." 


137 


THE  HOME 


MAPLE  SUGAR 
NOTE — In  ccmpliance  with  a  request  for 
uu  article  on  the  above  subject  the  follow- 
ing taken  in  substance  from  a  recent  issue 
of  the  Country  Gentleman  and  covering 
the  subject  very  admirably  is  submitted. — 
Mrs.  H.  H.  Funk. 

One  of  the  most  important  winter  duties 
of  the  old-fashioned  farmer  in  his  repair 
shop — which  was  frequently  a  warm  cor- 
ner by  the  kitchen  fireplace — was  that  of 
getting  ready  for  sugar  making.  In  those 
days,  the  luxury  cf  "boughten  sugar" 
could  rarely  be  indulged  in  and  the  maple 
of  home  manufacture,  served  alike  for 
sweetening  coffee  and  cake.  Since  the 
first  How  of  sap  came  with  the  sunny  days 
of  early  spring  a  season  as  brief  as  boun- 
teous, the  man  vv'ho  awaited  mild  weather 
before  commencing  his  preparations  al- 
most invariable  lost  the  best  "run  '  of  the 
season. 

First  the  spiles  were  made  ready.  These 
were  spouts  generally  of  pine,  whittled  to 
fit  into  the  holes  bored  in  the  tree  trunk, 
and  designed  to  conduct  the  sap  outward 
so  that  it  might  drip  freely  into  the  trough 
below,  instead  of  trickling  down  the  bark 
of  the  tree  and  wasting.  Sometimes  elder 
was  substituted  for  pine,  when  stems  of 
suitable  size  were  cut  into  ten  or  twelve- 
inch  lengths,  one  end  being  whittled  down, 
if  necessary,  to  fit  into  the  boring.  Com- 
mencing three  or  four  inches  below  the 
point  of  insertion,  a  longitudinal  shave  re- 
moved the  uppei-  half  of  the  remainder  ; 
and  by  forcing  out  the  central  pith,  a 
diminutive  trough  was  secured.  If  the 
iree  was  a  very  large  one  two  spiles  were 
sometimes  used;  but  the  double  tapping 
j)roved  too  exhaustive  save  with  the  most 
vigorous    trees. 

Troughs  were  made  by  cutting  logs  of 
medium  size  into  two  or  three-foot  lengths, 
splitting  each  in  two,  and  hollowing  the 
central  i)art  with  an  axe,  after  the  fashion 
of  the  old  Indian  dugout.  These  weie  at 
best  heavy  to  handle,  and  considerable 
skill  was  necessary  in  directing  their  con- 
tents into  the  collecting  bucket.  Much 
sap  was  wasted  on  account  of  their  limit- 
ed capacity,  even  the  most  vigilant  attend- 
ant finding  it  not  always  possible  to  pre- 
vent the  stage  of  overflow  being  reached  at 
some  period  of  the  day  or  night. 

With  the  first  warm  days  the  sap  com- 
menced to  ascend  earlier  in  the  clearing 
than  in  the  woodland;  and  the  farmer,  arm- 
ed with  his  ^4 -inch  auger,  proceeded  to 
open  his  cami).  The  tapping  was  prefer- 
ably made  on  the  sunny  side,  to  secure  the 
greatest    and    longest    flow,   and    the    boring 


was  done  at  a  point  where  neither  scar, 
red  bark  nor  decayed  wood  indicated  a 
l)revicus   puncture. 

If  the  weather  is  favorable,  sap  at  once 
starts  from  the  wound,  and  drops  fast  oi- 
slow,  according  to  the  season,  and  the  pro- 
ductive power  cf  the  individual  trf,e.  Pro- 
longed and  severe  freezings  are  deemed 
more  conducive  to  a  heavy  run  than  an 
open  winter;  while  freezing  nights  are  as 
essential  as  thawing  days  for  ideal  sugar 
weather.  The  amount  of  saccharine  ma- 
terial in  the  sap  also  varies  with  the  sea- 
son. .All  these  facts  the  old-time  farmer 
noted  and  used  to  advantage.  It  is  estimat- 
ed that  the  average  yield  of  sugar  is  three 
pounds  to  the  tree,  though  individual  trees 
-  vary  greatly  in  the  production,  somo  large- 
ly exceeding  this  figure.  One  hundred  bar- 
rels of  sap  yield  about  eighty  gallons  of 
syrup,  boiled  to  the  present  legal  standard 
of   eleven    pounds   to   the   gallon. 

In  olden  times  a  scale  of  weight  was  un- 
known. Those  not  so  fortunate  as  to  re- 
move it  from  the  kettle  at  just  the  right 
time  found  their  syrup  graining  sooner 
or  later,  or  were  humilated  by  the  criti- 
cism  that   it  was  "warmed-up  sap." 

A  convenient  central  location  was  chosen- 
for  the  camp-fire,  preferably  near  a 
stream  of  running  water,  that  facilities  for 
cleaning  all  utensils  properly  might  be 
constantly  at  hand.  A  stout,  orotched 
stake  was  driven  firmly  into  the  ground, 
and  a  long  pole  laid  across  the  crotch.  On 
the  short  end  of  the  pole  was  hung  the 
great  iron  kettle,  the  long  end  resting  on 
the  ground  and  serving  as  a  lever  to 
swing  the  kettle  to  and  from  the  fire  at 
pleasure.  Later,  two  stakes  were  used  in- 
stead of  one,  and  the  .kettle  hung  between 
them.  To  expedite  matters,  two  kettles 
were  often  used,  fresh  sap  being  heated  in 
the  smaller  to  replenish  the  shrinkage  in 
the  larger  through  evaporation,  without 
interrupting  its  boiling. 

The  sap  was  gathered  in  large  wooden 
buckets  suspended  from  the  shoulders  by 
a  neck-ycke.  Or  later,  as  the  woods  were 
sufficiently  cleared  of  underbrush  to  allow 
its  passage  the  ox  team  and  stone-boat 
were  pressed  into  service.  A  heavy  run. 
especially  on  Saturday,  made  a  busy  time; 
for.  aside  from  the  lack  of  storagv.^  tanks, 
there  was  danger  of  fermentation,  even  a 
trace  of  which  causes  the  sap  to  run  over 
at   the  slightest   increase  of  heat. 

To  mitigate  this  tendency,  the  tOi)  of  the 
kettle  was  often  greased  or  a  piece  of  pork 
fastened  to  the  end  of  a  stick  was  kept  in 
readiness  for  thrusting  into  the  risinn 
foam.  But  perhaps  the  most  curious  meth- 
od    of     literally     pouring     oil     on  'roubled 


138 


THE   PENNSYLV..\NIA-GERMAN 


waters  was  to  suspend  the  pork  ever  the 
kettle  with  a  string,  at  such  height  that 
the  syrup  would  touch  it  as  soon  as  it  com- 
menced to  rise  above  legitimate  bounds. 
At  best,  however,  constant  vigilaice  was 
accessary,  especially  during  the  later 
stages  of  progress. 

Only  the  most  fastidious  strained  the 
sap  as  it  was  gathered  from  the  open 
troughs,  a  gourd  dipper  freeing  it  from  the 
bugs  and  leaves  or  bits  of  moss  which  by 
chance  accumulated.  Since  ashes,  smoke 
and  cinders  were  being  constantly  wafted 
in  during  the  boiling  process,  precautions 
in  advance  of  the  final  purification  were 
deemed  superfluous.  When  the  "syrup" 
stage — a  very  thin  molasses — was  reached. 
it  was  strained  through  home-spun  linen 
:ind   allowed  to  settle. 

It  was  thus  usually  transferred  to  the 
house  for  the  finishing  touches;  and  after 
standing  over  night,  the  cleared  contents 
of  the  buckets  were  carefully  poured  into 
a  kettle,  the  dregs  remaining  undisturbed. 
A  partly  beaten  egg  or  a  little  milk  .was 
then  stirred  into  the  liquid,  which  was 
l)rought  slowly  to  the  boiling  point.  Mean- 
while, a  dark  scum  gradually  formori  over 
the  surface;  and  when  this  was  sufficiently 
tough  to  cohere,  it  was  removed  with  a 
skimmer,  leaving  the  syrup  presumably 
free  from  foreign  material  and  certainly 
much  clearer  than  before.  Aside  from  the 
advantage  of  cleanliness,  "sugaring  off"  in 
the  kitchen  reduced  the  dangsi-  from 
scorching  to  a  minimum  ;  for  every  time 
the  foaming  mass  rose  and  fell  in  the 
great  camp  kettle,  a  portion  adhered  to  its 
sides,  there  to  scorch  and  impart  to  the 
remainder  a  more  or  less  unpleasant  flavor. 

The  bulk  of  the  prod^ict  was  converted 
into  sugar,  this  being  more  convenient  for 
general    culinary    purposes    than    the    pyun 


which  predominates  at  the  present  time. 
Stirred  sugar,  resembling  dark  brown 
cane  sugar,  save  in  flavor,  was  made  b»" 
cooking  considerably  thicker  than  molas- 
ses. When  it  waxed  on  snow  or  grained 
with  stirring  as  it  cooled,  the  kettle  was 
removed  from  the  fire  and  the  contents 
stirred  until  the  entire  mass  was  convert- 
ed into  small  grains  having  the  rich  con- 
centration   of   maple    sweetness. 

Caked  sugar  the  solid  form  in  which  it 
is  now  almost  universally  sold,  was  cook- 
ed less,  stirred  until  partly  cool  to  render 
it  whiter  and  of  finer  grain,  and  then  pour- 
ed into  buttered  molds  to  harden. 

Tub  sugar  required  the  least  cooking, 
and  was  poured  into  a  tub  plugged  at  the 
bottom.  After  it  had  stood  for  some  weeks 
and  become  crystallized,  the  plug  was  re- 
moved and  the  drainings,  dark  and  with 
a  rank  taste,  were  added  to  the  contents  of 
the  vinegar  barrel.  This  primitive  refining 
process  resulted  in  a  sugar  of  comparative- 
ly light  color,  mild  flavor,  and  a  consis- 
tency midway  between  that  of  stirred  and 
caked  sugar;  the  crystals,  though  clearly 
defined,  were  moist  and  inclined  to  become 
compact. 

While  aching  backs,  and  eyes  congested 
by  smoke  were  among  the  attendant  fea- 
tures of  sugar-making,  it  was,  on  the 
whole,  a  season  of  much  merriment.  For 
the  young  folks  there  were  the  diversions 
of  sugaring  off,  taffy-pulling,  and  pouring 
wax  on  snow.  Every  boy  in  the  family 
knew  the  exact  location  of  the  tree  yielding 
the  sweetest  sap. 

Later,  strong  winds  dried  the  sap,  or 
with  swelling  buds  it  acquired  a  rank 
flavor.  Spiles  were  removed  and  packed 
awpy  with  the  troughs  and  other  utensils 
for  future  use.  A  week  later  the  camp 
was  no  longer  wreathed  in  smoke. 


Eaxesdropper  and  a   Giiiltj    Coiiseieuce 

Two  boys  were  out  picking  nuts,  and 
they  wanted  to  divide  them  equally  between 
them,  so  they  went  over  the  fence  into  the 
cemetery  and  sat  down  among  the  tomb- 
stones to  count  out  the  nuts.  While  going 
over  the  fence  they  dropped  two  nuts,  but 
didn't  stop  to  pick  them  up.  A  man  came 
along  and  heard  them  and  stopped  to  listen 
and  heard  them  saying:  "One  for  j'ou  and 
one  for  me."  "One  for  you  and  one  for 
me,"  and  he  became  badly  frightened  and 
ran  away  down  the  road,  and  met  another 


man  ,who  said:  "Whats  the  matter?"  The 
first  man  said:  "The  devil  and  the  Lord 
are  up  in  the  cemetery  dividing  up  the 
people,"  and  the  second  man  said:  "Oh  no, 
that  couldn't  be!"  The  first  man  says: 
"Yes,  they  are;  I  heard  them."  The  two 
men  went  back  to  the  fence  to  listen  and 
heard  them  saying:  "One  for  you  and  one 
for  me."  "One  for  you  and  one  for  me: 
now  that's  all;"  and  the  other  boy  says: 
"Except  the  two  at  the  fence,  and  that  will 
be  one  for  you  and  one  for  me  "  The  two 
men  ran  away  as  fast  as  they  could. — The 
News. 


139 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT 


The  Pennsylvania-German 

An  illustrated  monthly  magazine  devoted  to 
the  Biography,  History,  Genealogy,  Folklore, 
Literature  and  General  Interests  of  German 
and  Swiss  settlers  in  Pennsylvania  and  other 
States  and  of  their  descendants. 

Editorial  Staff 

H.  W.  Kriebel,  Publisher  and  Editor,  East 
Greenville,  Pa. 


Rev.    J.  A.    Scheffer,    Associate  Editor, 
245  North  Sixth  street,  Allentown,  Pa. 

Mrs.  H.  H.  Funk,  Editor  of  "The  Home," 
Soringtown,  Pa. 

Prof.  E.  S.  Gerhard,  Editor  of  "Reviews 
and  Notes,"  Trenton,  N.  J. 

Price,   $1.50  a  year,  in  advance;  15  cents 
per  single  copy. 

Additional    particulars    are    found    on 
page  2  of  the  cover. 


In  the  January  1906  issue  of  this  maga- 
zine the  then  editor  published  a  \aluable 
article  on  "The  Si)elling  of  Our,"  that  is, 
the  Pennsylvania-German  "Dialect."  He 
stated  that  "the  difference  between  a  dia- 
lect and  language  is  mainly  one  of  limi- 
tation." A  dialect  is  confined  to  a  parti- 
cular section  of  the  country;  is  limited  in 
the  number  of  words  in  use  and  also  "in 
its  literature."  However,  "dialects  uniting 
in  their  word-stores  have  formed  lan- 
guages while  still  remaining  separate  and 
distinct   forms   of   speech." 

"In  consequence  of  their  literary  use 
Ipnguages  have  in  the  course  of  time  and 
through  the  molding  influence  of  the  print- 
ers'   art    acquired    a    certain    fixedness    of 

form    and     spelling." "Dialects     being 

much  less  used  for  literary  purposes  have 
not   as  a  rule  attained  to  a  like  degree  in 

uniformity   in    spelling." — — "Especially 

is  this  true  of  our  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man vernacular."  For  the  numerous  causes 
and  reasons  why  this  is  so  we  refer  our 
readers  to  the  above  named  article  by  the 
Ifte  Henry  A.  Schuler,  in  his  able  discus- 
sion on  the  subject. 

The  Pennsylvania-German  dialect  is 
now  largely  a  mixtnre  of  the  Palatinate- 
German  and  English  words  and  phrases, 
though  a  century  ago  it  also  had  a  con- 
siderable number  of  French  words.  The 
older  writers  used  German  letters  and 
sounds;  the  present  day  writers  in  our 
dialect  try  to  make  it  readable  and  under- 
standable to  those  not  knowing  ths  Bibli- 
cal German  by  writing  it  according  Lo  Eng- 
lish sounds.  Those  writing  in  the  Penn- 
sylvania-CJerman  dialect  for  this  magazine 
ought  to  have  some  fixed  standard  for 
spelling,  as  then  more  could  read  their 
contributions.  And  we  commend  to  such 
writers  the  consideration  of  the  "Rules" 
given  in  the  article  by  Mr.  Schuler  who  was 
a  remarkable  linguist.  We  invite  attention 
of  those  who  search  for  and  write  up  his- 
torical facts  whether  in  English,  German  or 
Pennsylvania-German  to  the  article  of 
Richard    E.    Helbig,  Assistant  Librarian  of 


the  New  York  Public  Library,  in  the  Feb- 
ruary number.  Read  on  page  65,  2nd  col- 
umn what  he  wrote  of  enthusiasts  and  opti- 
mists and  his  indirect  hints  as  to  the 
proper   motives   for   such   work. 


A  Tribute 

The  following  letter  and  tribute  were 
called  forth  by  a  note  dated  .lanuary  11, 
1909,  directing  the  attention  of  Professor 
Avellanus  to  the  death  of  the  late  Henry  A. 
Schuler  Jan.  1908,  at  the  time  editor  oi 
THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN.  In  view 
of  his  services  to  this  magazine  we  deem 
it  in  place  to  record  the  testimonial  in  its 
pages.  The  memorial  by  his  scholarly 
friend  is  on  another  page. 

January,   ITth,   190ii. 
Mr.   H.   W.   Kriebel,   Publisher, 
East   Greenville,   Pa. 

Dear  Sir:  I  beg  leave  to  acknowledge  the 
receipt  of  your  favor  of  the  llth.  inst.,  as 
well  as  the  copy  of  the  PENNSYLVANIA- 
GERMAN,  with  the  portrait  and  sketch  ot 
our  common  friend,  Mr.  Henry  A.  Schuler, 
of  whose  untimely  death  I  had  no  informa- 
tion, and  which  sad  news  I  all  the  more 
deplore. 

I  have  availed  myself  on  your  kind  offer 
to  i)en  a  few  lines  about  his  relation  to  me. 
and  I  herewith  inclose  my  recollections  ot 
him.  It  does  not  disclose  any  great  aiul  sur- 
prising revelations,  but  simple  statements 
cf  facts,  which  are  creditable  to  his  mem- 
ory. You,  no  doubt,  know  more  details 
of  his  life  story,  of  which  you  have  already 
siven  a  very  jieat  and  terse  sjjecimen  in 
that  number  of  the  magazine,  and  likely 
more  in  others:  but  this  ))art  of  his  nctivit.v 
I  knew  best.  Considering  the  circuuistances 
under  which  he  had  suulied  Latin,  his  at- 
tainments in  that  resi)ect  were  simi)ly  mar- 
velous. He  did  not  know  many  small  details 
and  fineries  of  Latin  when  we  first  got 
acquainted,  but  he  mastered  them  unaidetl 
in  no  time,  and  he  wrote  with  considerable 
elegance    and    ease.    I    have  no  recollection 


140 


CLIPPINGS    FROM    CURRENT    NEWS 


of  another  man  who  has  accomplished  what 
he  has  in  the  field  of  Latin;  and  yet  I  was 
in  touch  with  most  Latinists  from  all  the 
world.  Mr.  Schuler  was  a  greate.-  genius 
than  his  best  friends  know,  ,and  you  are  at 
liberty  to  make  this  statement  in  addition 
to  my  article. 

Very    respectfully   yours, 
ARCADIUS  AVELLANUS. 
Middletown  Conn. 


The  author  of  the  first  article  in  the 
February  issue  was  James  not  John  Mad- 
den and  in  the  same  article  ."oinville 
should  read  Jornville  and  en  the  editorial 
page  F.  C.  ought  to  be  P.  C.  Croli. 


NOTE.— It  is  a  matter  f  regret  that 
there  were  quite  a  number  typograph- 
ical errors  in  the  February  issue  of  this 
monthly. 

In  the  sketch  of  Col.  Matthias  Hollen- 
back,  the  name  is  printed  Hollenback 
twice  where  the  copy  has  it  Hollenbach 
and  four  times  Hollenbach  where  it  ought 
to  read  Hollenback,  and  on  page  55  Hol- 
lenbachim  ought  to  be  the  German  femi- 
ine  form  Hollebachin.  The  names  Cath- 
erine and  Marie  ought  to  read  Catherina 
and  Maria  and  Dietter,  Dieter  and  Stoudt. 
Stout. 


Clippings  from  Current  News 


—The  Studebaker  Brothers  Mfg.  Co.  of 
South  Bend,  Indiana,  erected  a  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
building  at  the  formal  opening  of  which 
on  October  25,  10,000  took  part. 

At  the  annual  banquet  of  the  Poor  Rich- 
ard Club,  Phila.,  Martin  G.  Brumbaugh, 
LL.  D.,  spoke  on  "Benjamin  Franklin  and 
the   Pennsylvania  German." 

Ex-Governor  Samuel  W.  Pennypacker, 
addressed  the  Frankford  Historical  Society 
at  the  Free  Library  Building  on  "Charac- 
ters Unknown  in  History,"  referring  prin- 
cipally to  Pennsylvania  Germans. 

The  Saxon  government  resolved  to  adopt 
the  Bcdelschwingh  plan  for  the  abolition 
of  vagabondage.  It  will  establish  wayfar- 
ers' inns  in  such  a  way  that  they  are  apart 
from  each  other  only  a  day's  journey.  The 
men  will  be  given  work  either  on  the  farm 
or  in  workshops  connected  with  the  inns 
and  steps  will  be  taken  to  procure  steady 
employment  for  them.  "Bums"  (German: 
Strolche)  will  be  taken  to  institutions 
where  they  are  compelled  to  work  hard 
and  cannot  go  on  the  road  again. 

*      4"      * 

Reeent  Deaths  of  Pennsyhania-Gierraans 

Isaac  H.  Keefer  of  Chambersburg,  Pa. 
aged  75  years.  He  was  the  last  survivor 
of  his  immediate  family.  He  had  been  a 
farmer  and  of  late  years  was  engaged  in 
the  coal  and  grain  business.  He  was  a 
prominent  member  and  an  Elder  in  Zion's 
Reformed  congregation. 

James  Brownback,  aged  75,  identified  for 
many  years  with  stove  manufactuiing  in- 
dustries at  Linfield  and  Pottstown,  and  for 
a  long  time  president  of  the  March-Brown- 
back  Stove  Company,  of  Pottstown,  died 
suddenly  of  heart  affection  at  his  home  at 
Linfield. 

Charles  G.  Bokins  died  unexpectedly,  at 
the  age  of  90  years  in  Germantowu,  Phila. 
His    ancestor      William      Bokins     emigrated 


from  Westphalia,  Germany,  and  was  one  of 
the  early  settlers  in  Germantown,  now  one 
of  the  wards  in  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Bokins 
started  in  the  notion  business  with  his 
brother  at  3d  and  Market  Sts..  but  in 
1869  removed  to.  Germantown  and  estab- 
lished a  large  retail  dry  goods  store.  After 
more  than  fifty  years  of  a  successful  busi- 
ness career  in  1894  he  retired  in  favor  of 
one  of  his  two  surviving  sons.  Mr.  Bokins 
was  in  1843  married  to  Margaret  Unruh. 
whose  father  was  born  in  a  house  at  Mt. 
\iry,  used  for  a  hospital  after  the  BattU' 
of   Germantown. 

After  a  brief  illness  the  Rev.  G.  C.  Hen- 
ry, D.D.,  died  at  his  home  in  Shippensburg. 
Pa.,  Jan.  18th.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
General  Synod  and  a  frequent  contributor 
to  "The  Lutheran  Observer." 

Edward  R.  Snader,  M.  D.,  was  killed  by 
his  automcbile  steering  gear  getting  out  of 
order  and  plunging  over  an  embankment  in 
Fairmount  Park,  Phila.  He  was  a  native 
of  Lancaster  County,  Pa.  Dr.  Snader  was 
professor  in  a  Phila.  Medical  College,  and 
was  an  expert  in  heart,  lung  and  stomach 
diseases.  He  was  an  authority  in  these 
branches  and  ccnsulted  frequently  by  other 
l)hysicians. 

News  has  been  received  of  the  death  in 
Alameda,  Cal.,of  Joseph  Anshutz,  for  many 
years  supervising  architect  of  the  Board 
of  Education  of  Philadelphia.  He  de- 
signed the  Central  High  School,  at  Broad 
and  Green  streets.  The  interment  was 
made  in  Alameda. 

Mr.  Anshutz  was  about  60  years  old.  He 
was  a  cousin  of  Thomas  Anshutz,  a  por- 
trait painter  and  member  of  the  \cademy 
of  the  Fine  Arts. 

Ten  years  ago  Mr.  Anshutz  went  to  Sau 
Francisco  for  his  health.  He  was  there  at 
the  time  of  the  earthquake.  His  wife,  who 
was  Miss  Anne  Taylor,  of  this  city,  sur- 
vives  him. 


141 


The  Forum 


MEAMNG   OF    NAMES 


By  Leonliard  Kolix  Fuld,  M.  A.,  LL.  31. 

EDITORIAL  NOTE.— Mr.  Fuld  his  kind- 
ly consented  to  give  a  brief  account  of  the 
meaning  of  the  surname  of  an.y  subscriber 
who  requests  such  a  reading  and  sends 
twenty-five  cents  to  the  Editor  of  THE 
PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  for  that  pur- 
pose. 

II.  KR.VM 

The  name  KRAM  ori'^inally  meant  a  stall 
from  which  goods  were  sold.  Then  it  came 
to  mean  a  shop  LADEN.  BUDE.  From  the 
name  of  the  place  in  which  goods  were  sold 
it  gradually  became  the  name  of  the  occu- 
pation itself  and  thus  we  see  it  becoming 
the  equivalent  of  trade  KRAMFANDEL 
and  retail  trade  SCHNITTWARENHANDEL. 
And  finally  it  came  to  mean  what  was  sold 
in  these  shops;  in  the  singular  it  meant 
haberdashery  KURZWAREN  and  in  the 
plural  trinkets  METALLSACHEN.  Figur- 
atively it  means  pots  and  pans  KUCHENGE 
RAT  and  stuff  ALLERLEI  ZEUG.  The 
word  api>ears  also  in  the  proverb  DIE 
ELLE  1ST  LANGER  ALS  DER  KR.AM  which 
means.  It  is  impossible  to  make  the  ends 
meet.  The  name  KRAM  occurs  in  a  lar-^e 
number  of  colloquial  sayings  of  which  the 
following  are  the  most  common:  ALLER- 
LEI KLEINER  KRAM:  cdds  and  ends: 
ELENDER  KRAM;  rubbi^^h:  DER  GANZE 
KRAM.  the  whole  lot;  D\  LIEGT  DER 
KRAM,  there  is  an  end  of  the  mattf-r;  DAS 
PASST  (JERADE  IN  SEINEN  KRAM.  that 
suits   his    purpose;    DAS    VERDIRLT    MIR 

DEN  GANZEN  KRAM,  that  spjils  the 
whole  affair;  IN  DEM  KRAM  KOMMEN.  to 
be   brought   to  bed. 

These  colloquial  phrases  indicuLe  how 
clrsely  the  name  KRAM  was  related  to  the 
everyday  life  of  the  Germans.  It  meant  a 
small  shoi)keeper  during  the  iieriod  when 
Germans  became  fixed  and  this  is  the 
meaning  which  attaches  to  the  name  at  the 
jiresent  dav. 

LEONHARD    FEIJX    I'^ULD. 

4"     *     4* 

ronnniu'iit    .Markers   »'<»r  (i!rai«'s  of   Patriots 
and    Pioin'rrs 

Cai)t.  A.  P.  Stultz.  of  Zanesville.  Ohio. 
Curator  of  the  Muskingum  Co..  Historical 
Society,  a  veteran  cf  the  Civil  War,  grand- 
son of  Adam  Stultz,  soldier  of  the  War  cf 
1812.  of  Penna. -German  ancestry,  and  a 
great-grandson  of  Richard  Marshall,  (uncle 
of  Chief  .lustice  Mar.^hall)  who  served  over 
seven  years  to  help  establish  American  In- 
dependence, has  been  devoting  much  atten- 
tion to  the  question  of  securing  a  perm- 
anent   and    indestructible   memorial    for   use 


as  markers  for  the  graves  of  the  patriots 
and  pioneei's  of  our  country. 

The  i)rohibitive  cost  of  the  best  granites 
and  stones  and  the  rapid  disintegration  of 
the  cheaper  stones  and  metals  prevent  such 
general  use  of  such  markers  as  is  neces- 
sary to  insure  the  preservation  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  location  of  the  events,  and 
the  graves  of  those  who  played  an  im- 
portant part  in  the  history  of  the  United 
States. 

Readers  of  THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GER- 
.\L\X  will  re.ioice  therefore  to  learn  that 
Captain  Stultz  has  himself  perfected  a  pot- 
tery mai'ker  that  seems  to  fill  all  the  re- 
(juirements.  It  is  of  purest  vitrified  clay, 
white,  and  has  tie  name  of  the  soldier,  the 
comiiany  and  regiment,  or  other  cummind. 
in  which  he  served,  burned  under  the  glaz- 
ing: it  is  practically  imperishable,  and  can 
l)e  manrfactured  and  put  on  ihe  market  at 
a  price  less  than  one-half  of  the  cost  of 
those  now  used.  This  is  not  only  a  dis- 
tinguishing marker  for  a  soldier's  grave, 
but  also  a  lasting  rtcord  of  his  service  to 
his  country.  It  will  be  seme  time  however 
befci'e  these  markeis  are  on  the  market  as 
business  arrangements  for  their  manufac- 
ture must   be   com])leted. 

4»     *     * 

Schuvlkill    Haven.   .Ian.    12.    1909. 
Mr.   H    W.   Kreibel. 

D 'ai-  Sir:  Enclosed  please  find  check  for 
subscripticu  to  the  PENNSYLV ANA-GER- 
MAN. I  am  very  grateful  for  yorir  descrip- 
tion of  the  Bern  Church  Cemetery  and 
Chrrch  which  api)eared  in  your  January 
issue  where  my  grandparents  lie  burie.l 
and  other  relatives  of  mine  which  interest- 
ed me  very  much.  The  interest  caused  this 
renewal  of  subscription.  Hoi)ing  to  con- 
tinue and  learn  more  in  the  future.  With 
best  wishes  to  the  Staff  I  rem.un. 
Yours  trulv. 

A.   \.    BRENSINGER. 

4"      +      4" 

A  subscriber  writes; 

"I  was  much  interested  in  the  article  on 
the  Germans  in  Louden  county,  Virginia  as 
I  wrs  hern  there  and  have  many  relatives 
with  the  family  names  of  German  origin. 
German  is  nevei'  spoken  among  them  and 
most  r.f  them  have  forgotten  that  their  an- 
cestois  came  down   from   Penna." 

PROF.    HICKMAN. 
Indiana.   F*a. 

4"      4*      4* 

Information    Waiit<Ml 

Mr.  S.  S.  Fiery.  Bangor,  P'a.,  being  en- 
gaged in  collecting  material  for  a  history 
of  the  Flory  or  Fleury  family  invites  cor- 
respondence from  any  persons  in  position 
to   give   information   about   the   family.  ?,-4-'< 


142 


THE   FORUM 


In  the  January  number  of  "THE  PENN- 
SYLVANIA-GERM.^^" in  the  interesting 
article  "How  New  Year  is  observed  by  the 
Moravians"  mention  is  made  of  the  influx 
of  country  people  to  attend  the  midnight 
service,  Dec.  31.  That  this  difficulty,  with 
its  disturbing  influences  was  experienced 
as  late  as  fifty  years  ago  in  Bethleh»m  also 
is  a  well  known  fact.  The  writer  has  in 
his  possession  an  original  manuscript  no- 
tice issued  by  the  Warden  of  the  Nazareth 
Congregation  dated  Dec.  18.  1794.  It  speaks 
for  itself.  It  is  given  in  English  and  Ger- 
man. 

"The  Directors  of  the  Congregation  in 
Nazareth,  hereby  request  our  neighbors, 
not  to  come  to  the  meetings  in  this  place 
on  Christmas  Eve  and  the  evening  before 
New  Year.  The  want  of  Room  and  other 
Difficulties  attending  it  in  the  Night  time 
make  it  Necessaiy  that  those  iiieetingp 
will  be  kept  only  for  the  members  of  the 
Congregation.  Public      Preaching      with 

Church  music  will  be  on  Christmas  Day 
and  New  Year's  Day  as  usual,  in  the  Fore- 
noon. Nazareth,  Dec.  18th,  1794. 
N.    TILLOFSON. 

Die  Direction  der  Gemeine  in  Nazareth 
ersucht  hiedurch  unsere  Nachbaren  freund- 
lichst  sich  nicht  zu  den  Versamlungen 
dieses  Orts  zur  Christnacht  und  zu  dem 
abend  vor  dem  Neuen  Yahre  herzu  bega- 
ben,   im   dem   dieselben    wegen    des    engen 


Platzes  und  andere  zur  Nachtzeit  gewoehn 
lichen  Berschwerlichkeiten  nur  fiir  die 
Glieder  der  G'emeine  veranstaltet  werden 
Kounen.  Die  offentloichen  Predigten  aber 
am  Erten  weihnacht's  feuertage,  und 
neujahrs  tage  werden  wie  gewohnlich  mit 
Kirchen  Music  Vormittags"  gehalten  wer- 
den. Nazareth  den  18th  December,  1794. 
N.    TILLOFSON. 

The  above  official  was  born  in  Holztein 
en  1745.  He  served  as  teacher  in  Niesky, 
Germany,  and  as  superintendent  in  Grace- 
hill,  Ireland,  coming  to  America  1791. 
where  he  was  ordained  a  Deacon  by  Bishop 
.lohn  Ettwein.  He  labored  in  the  Gospel 
at  Schoeneck.  Gnadenhiitten,  on  the 
Mahony,  Pa.,  and  at  Hope.  N.  J.  He  died 
in  retirement  at  Lititz  in  1806.  having  the 
love  and  good  will  of  every  one. 

Tradition  says  that  when  the  enthusiasm 
of  the  strangers  collected  at  the  "INN"  be- 
came too  strenuous  about  midnight,  so  that 
the  guardians  of  the  peace  failed  to  pre- 
serve order — a  call  was  made  for  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Hon.  William  Henry,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  congregation — manufacturer  of 
rifles  for  the  U.  S.  Government,  as  well  as 
for  the  State,  a  man  of  stature  and  digni- 
fied bearing — whose  arrival  with  his  "big' 
stick"  invariably  put  an  end  to  the  dis- 
turbance. Yours  veiT  truly, 

JOSEPH    A.    RICE. 


Historical  Societies 


The    Lelii^Ii    Connfj'    Historical    Society 

held  its  last  quarterly  meeting  in  Allen- 
town,  Pa.  The  former  president,  secretary 
treasurer  and  executive  committee  were 
re-elected.  Nine  new  members  were  elect- 
ed, making  a  total  of  14.5.  The  reading  of 
biographical  sketches  of  members  who 
died  lately  was  postponed  till  next  meet- 
ing, thus  giving  time  to  read  three  other 
*  excellent  papers,  which  will  be  published 
in  this  magazine. 

The  past  year  42  bound  volumes  and  40 
pamphlets  were  given  to  the  society,  mak- 
ing a  total  of  140  bound  volumes  and  180 
pamphlets.  The  society  has  quite  a  num- 
ber of  manuscript  papers,  facsimiles,  maps, 
photographs  and  other  articles.  The  treas- 
urer's annual  report  shows  expenditures 
of  .$299.14.  chiefly  for  printing  the  society's 
proceedings  and  papers.  The  New  York 
Public  Library  having  requested  these,  a 
copy  of  all  its  publications  was  author- 
ized to  be  donated  to  that  Library's  Ger- 
man American  Department. 

The  Park  Commission  of  Allentown.  has 
granted   this    Historical    Society   the    use   of 


the  historic  Allen  Fishing  and  Hunting 
Lodge,  which  to  the  present  formed  part  of 
the  East  wing  of  the  old  buildings  of  Muh- 
lenberg College,  the  grounds,  which  are 
now  to  become  one  of  this  city's  iiarks. 

4*    4»     4» 

The   Historians'  Animal  Meeting, 

The  Bucks  County  Historical  Society 
held  its  twenty-ninth  annual  meeting  in  the 
Society's  building.  Doylestown.  on  Tues- 
day. January  19.  Two  sessions  were  held, 
one  at  10.30  a.  m.  and  the  other  at  2.30  p. 
m.  The  business  meeting  was  held  in  the 
morning.  Three  papers  were  presented  at 
the  afternoon  session. 

Warren  S.  Ely.  Librarian  of  the  Society, 
presented  a  paper  on  "The  Lime  Quarries 
and  Kilns  of  Bucks."  Ely  J.  Smith.  Esq.. 
Doylestown.  read  a  paper  on  "Old  Time 
Children's  Games."  Oliver  Randolph  Parry, 
of  Philadelphia,  i-ead  a  paper  on  "Betsy 
Ross,  the  Flag  Maker."  and  i>resented  to  the 
Society  the  only  authenticated  piece  of 
flooring  of  Ihe  original  flag  house  extant. 


HISTORICAL    SOCIETIES 


143 


York  County  Ilistoricul  Society 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Historical 
Society  of  York  County,  held  on  Thursday 
evening,  January  14th,  Robert  C.  Bair  was 
elected  president;  Captain  W.  H.  Lanius, 
vice  president;  A.  Wanner,  treasurer; 
Chas.  A.  Hawkins,  recording  se<;retary; 
and  Miss  Lena  T.  Root,  corresponding  sec- 
letary.  The  board  of  trustees  is  composed 
of  Rev.  T.  T.  Everett,  D.  D.,  Captain  W. 
H.  Lanius,  George  P.  Smyser,  Rev.  E.  T. 
.Jeffers,  D.  D.,  J.  A.  Dempwolf,  J.  W. 
Steacy,  Captain  John  Fahs,  all  prominent 
in  the  affairs  of  the  city  of  York. 

This  Society  was  organized  in  1S92,  but 
did  not  become  vigorously  active  until 
1902.  During  that  year  the  County  Com- 
missioners gave  permission  for  the  Society 
to  use  a  large  room  on  the  third  floor  of 
the  new  County  Courthouse.  This  room 
which  is  reached  by  an  elevator  is  now  en- 
tirely filled  with  a  museum  and  library.  The 
walls  are  covered  with  tramed  portl-aits, 
historic  views  and  places  relating  to  south- 
ern Pennsylvania.  The  museum  contains 
many  thousand  souvenirs  and  mementoes 
i)f  local  history,  A  collection  of  natural 
history  embraces  all  the  birds  and  small 
animals  which  are  found  in  the  Keystone 
State.  The  collection  of  birds'  eggs  and  in- 
sects is  large  and  valuable.  About  ten 
thousand  persons  visit  this  room  annually. 
The  museum  and  library  were  arranged 
under  the  direction  of  Geo.  R.  Prowell.who 
has  served  as  curator  and  librarian  during 
the  past   six  years. 

At  the  January  meeting  Rev.  William  J. 
Oliver  pastor  of  Calvary  Presbyterian 
Church  of  York,  read  an  exceedingly  inter- 
esting sketch  of  Hon.  Hugh  Henry  Brack- 
enridge,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  men 
who  resided  in  york  County.  Bracken- 
ridge  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  came  to 
this  country  with  his  parents  wh3n  quite 
young.  He  graduated  at  Princeton  College 
in  the  same  class  with  James  Madison,  and 
(luring  the  Revolution  was  chaplain  in  the 
American  army.  After  the  war  he  edited 
a  newspaper  in  Philadelphia,  then  studied 
law  and  in  17S1  he  settled  in  P'ttsburg. 
ihen  a  small  village  on  the  Western  front- 
ier. He  soon  took  rank  among  the  leaders 
of  the  bar,  and  was  appointed  by  Gover- 
nor McKeen.  a  membei-  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Pennsylvania.  Justice  Bracken- 
ridge  died  at  his  home  in  Carlisle,  in  1816. 

Mr.  Oliver  devoted  most  of  his  paper  to 
the  literary  career  of  Brackenridge  whose 
work  entitled  •Modern  Chivalry,"  now  a 
rare  book,  is  one  of  the  finest  specimens 
of  satiie   in   American   literature. 

Prof.  C.  H.  Ehrenfeld,  a  membe.-  of  the 
faculty  of  York  Collegiate  Institute,  read  a 
])aper  on  "Buffaloes  in  Pennsylvania."  This 
interesting     paper    was      prepared     by     Mr. 


James  M.  Swank,  of  Philadelphia,  general 
manager  of  the  American  Iron  &  Steel  As- 
sociation, and  appears  in  his  recent  pub- 
lished work. 

The  Historical  Society  of  York  Count}" 
has  two  hundred  active  members  and 
twenty  life  members.  The  meetings  are 
held  at  regular  intervals,  when  papers  art- 
read  and  discussed. 

•{•      4>      4. 

The     Bucks     County     Historical    Society 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Society  held,  Janu- 
ary 27,  the  following  officers  were  elected: 

President,  William  H.  New-ell,  Vice-presi- 
dents, Isaac  Paxson,  Mrs.  A.  A.  Seibert, 
Theodore  Dewees;  Recording  Secretary. 
Daniel  G.  Lubold;  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary, Miss  Elena  M.  Roads;  Treasurer,  J. 
W.  Fox;  Librarian,  H.  J.  Herbein;  Ass't. 
Librarian,  Claude  Unger;  Directors.  H.'  J. 
Herbein,  G.  A.  Berner,  Esq. 
The  Society  was  represented  at  the  meet- 
ing of  the  State  Federation  of  Historical 
Societies  at  Harrisburg,  by  Mr.  Claude  Un- 
ger. What  will  be  one  of  the  most  import- 
ant of  its  Publications  is  in  press.  This 
number  will  contain — A  "Documentary 
History  of  Zion  (the  Red)  Church,"  com- 
piled by  the  Rev.  H  A.  Weller;  "Schuylkill 
County  in  the  French  and  Indian  War,"  by 
Mr.  Wm.  H.  Newell;  "The  Flora  of  Schuyl- 
kill County,"  by  Prof.  S.  A.  Thurlow;  "His- 
tory of  the  Schools  of  Pottsville."  by  Wm. 
G.   Wells;    Esq. 

The  Society  hafe  secured  quarters  in 
Pottsville's  new  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Building.  Its 
meetings  are  held  the  last  Wednesday  even- 
ing of  each  month  and  are  fairly  well 
attended.  Its  financial  condition  is  quite 
satisfactoiy.  only  a  small  number  of  mem- 
bers being  delin(|uent  in  the  paying  of  dues. 

+      *      * 

In  the  new  Schaif-Herzog  Encyclopedia 
of  Religious  Knowledge,  now  issuing  in 
America,  Prof.  Benjamin  B.  Warfield,  of 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary,  who  con- 
tiibutes  the  article  on  "The  Atonement," 
lilaces  at  the  head  of  the  list  of  American 
books  that  the  student  should  consult  "The 
Atonement  and  Modern  Thought,"  by  Rev. 
D)-.   J.   B.   Remensnyder. 

4»     +     •!• 

"Electro-.Analysis"  by  Edgar  F.  Smith. 
Sc.  D..  LL.  D.,  which  appeared  a  vear  ago 
in  its  fourth  English  edition,  has  inst  been 
translated  into  its  second  German  edition 
by  Professor  Stabler  of  the  University  ol 
Berlin.  The  most  recent  advances  in  elec- 
tro-chemical analysis  are  treated  in  this 
volume. 


144 


Reviews  and  Notes 


The  Life  of     Francis  Daniel     Pastorius: — 

The      Founder      cf        Germantown — By- 
Marion    Dexter  Learned,    Ph.  D.,  L.  H. 
D.,  Professor  of  German  at  the  Univer- 
sity  of   Pennsylvania.     Illustrated    with 
90    photographic    reproductions.     Large 
octavo;        cloth;      324pp.      Price      $5.00 
Edition,  limited  to  1000  copies.  William 
J.  Campbell,   Philadelphia,   1908. 
No  more     fitting  and     lasting     memorial 
could  have     been     established  at  the     late 
commemorative    exercises   of  the    founding 
of     Germantown     than     the     publisliing  of 
Professor     Learned's     exhaustive   work   on 
■Tie   Life   of   Francis    Daniel    Pastorius." 

Pastorius,  the  subject  of  this  work,  was 
l)orn  in  Sommerhausen,  Germany,  Sept.  26, 
1651.  Little  is  known  .of  his  ancesLors  ex- 
cept that  they  were  of  a  distlnguisiied  Ger- 
man family,  whose  original  name  may 
have  been  Hirt  or  Schiifer  of  wh.ch  the 
name  Pastor  is  the  Latinized  form;  dur- 
ing this  period  names  were  often  Latinized 
under    the    influence    of   Humanism. 

In  1863  he  migrated  to  Americi  with  a 
small  body  of  friends,  and  settled  on  the 
Frankfort  Compamy's  tract  between  the 
Schuylkill  and  Delaware  Rivers.  He  con- 
trolled the  affairs  of  the  several  land  com- 
panies until  1688,  when  he  engaged  in 
teaching  in  the  schools  of  Philadelphia. 
When  Penn  granted  Germantown  a  charter 
in  1698,  Pastorius  became  the  first  Bailif. 
He  held  many  important  offices  in  the  little. 
I'ity. 

It  Js  to  be  lamented  that  neither  the 
Hxact  date  of  his  death  is  known  nor  the 
place  where  he  is  buried.  He  is  supposed 
lo  have  died  between  1719^1720,  and  it  is 
supposed,  furthermore,  that  ho  was  buried 
in  the  Friends'  Burying  Ground,  German- 
town;  but  there  is  no  tombstone  nor  record 
(-f  burial  to  indicate  this. 

Pastorius  was  a  many  sided  man.  especi- 
ally in  a  literary  way.  He  was  a  scliolar. 
and  was  said  to  have  been  conversant  with 
no  less  than  seven  languages  Some  of  his 
writings  are  still  extant;  it  is  also  to  liim 
that  Prof.  Learned  credits  the  first  protest 
against  slavery  which  the  Friends  of  Ger- 
mantown presented  in  1688,  which  act  was 
the  insi)iration  of  Whittier's  "The  Pennsyl- 
vania Pilgrim." 

The  Appreciation  of  Pastorius  by  Ex- 
Governor  S.  W.  Pennypacker  of  Pennsyl- 
vania is  perfecly  sincere  and  appropriate: 
he  rejoices  that  so  eminent  a  scholar 
undertook  the  writing  of  this  biogi-aphy. 

The  work  is  a  documentary  life  of  Pas- 
torius and  his  times.  It  is  the  work  of  a 
scholar,  of  a  trained  investigator  whose 
devotion  to  his  work  demands  respect.  It 
is  replete  witli  reliable  sources  and  he  who 
would  verify  them  all  would  have  a  hard 
task  on  liand.  It  is  a  contribution  to  his- 
tory;   it    is   exhaustive    and    authentic;     and 


one  may  well  presume  that  Professor 
Learned  has  said  the  last  word  that  is  to  be 
said  about  this  pioneer  of  German  migra- 
tion to  America. 

German  Literature  ia  American  Magazines 
Prior   To   1846— By     Scott     Holland     Good- 
night,    Ph.  D.     Assistant     Professor  of 
German,     University   of  Wisconsin.   No. 
188     in  the     Philology  and     Literature 
Series  of  the  Bulletin  of  the  University 
of  Wisconsin.     Paper;   264pp.     Price  50 
cents.  Madison,  Wisconsm.  1907. 
German  Literature  in  American  Magazines 
1846—1880 — By      Martin      Henry      .Haertel 
Instructor    in      German,     University    of 
Wisconsin.  No.  263  in  the  Philology  and 
Literature  Series  cf  the  Bulletin  of  the 
University    cf    Wisconsin.     Paijer;     lo3 
pp.      Price    50    cents.      Madison,     Wis- 
consin,  1908. 
During     the     last     decade      probably    no 
aspect   of   History   or   Literature   has   com- 
manded  more     attention     among     scholars 
over  this  whole     country  than  the    German 
element     and     influence  in  just     these  two 
phases  of  our  life  and  culture  development. 
It  is  also  only  of  late  years  that  this    coun- 
try is  beginning  to  realize  the  greatness  of 
the    debt    it   owes    to  German  civilization. 

Professor  Goodnight  discuss-es  the 
awakening  interest  in  German  life  and  cul- 
ture, in  fact  cf  all  things  German,  in  Ameri- 
ca, and  the  introduction  of  German  litera- 
tuer  to  the  readers  of  American  periodicals. 
Professor  Haertel,  on  the  otlier  hand,  takes 
up  the  developement  of  the  criticism  of 
German  literature  in  American  magazines 
from  1846 — 18S0;  he  confines  himseif  to  the 
attidude  of  the  journals  towards  literature 
alone. 

Both   of     these     publications   are     theses 
that  were  submitted  by  these  two     writers 
respectively  to  the  University  of  Wisconsin 
for  the     degree  of     Doctor  of     Philosophy. 
They   are  both     scholarly   pieces  of     work. 
They  show  the  expenditure  of  an  immense 
amount  of  labor  consumed  in  examining  an 
endless   number   of  old     magazines.     Tlieir 
reference   lists     alone     should     make  them 
invaluable  to  the  further  study  of     German 
and  American   literature. 
Supplement    1906    to    190S    to    the    Index   to 
Genealogies    i'ublished  in   1900.  Albany, 
N.   Y.,   .Toel   Munsell's   Sons,   Publishers, 
1908. 
.loel  Munsell's  Sons  have  rendered  a  dis- 
tinct    and     very     valuable     service     to     all 
librarians,    historians    and    genealogists    by 
sui)plementing    their    "Munsell's    Genealogi- 
cal  Index  of  1900"  and  thus  bringing  it  up 
to   date.      Hundreds   of   volumes   have   been 
searched     at     considerable     expenditure     of 
time,    labor    and    money.     As    a    result    you 
can    in    a    moment    find   out    by   the    use   of 
the     two     volumes     whether     anything    has 
lieen    i)ublished   on    jiarticular   families   and 
where   to    look    for   the   information. 


Vol.  X 


APRIL,  1909 


No.  4 


The  Origin  of  Sunday  Schools 

By  Dr.  I.  H.  Betz.  York,  Pa. 


HE  statistical  repct  of  the 
E  1  ev  e  n  t  h  International 
Sunday  School  Conven- 
tion held  at  Toronto, Can- 
ada. June  23-27,  1905. 
gave  the  number  of  Sun- 
day Schools  in  the  world 
as  262.131 ;  the  number 
of  teachers  2,426,888  and 
of  scholars  as  22.739.323  or  a  grand 
total  of  teachers,  and  scholars  sum- 
ming up  over  25^/2  millions,  in  num- 
))er. 

Of  this  number  the  United  States 
had  nearly  one  half.  Great  Britain 
and  Ireland  had  nearly  one  third,  Ger- 
many might  be  supposed  to  rank  very 
high  but  it  fell  short  oi  one  million. 

The  number  above  given  does  not 
include  the  schools  of  the  Roman 
I'atholic  or  Xon-Evangelical  Protes- 
tant Churches.  The  number  of  schol- 
ars in  the  Roman  Catholic  Sunday 
Schools  in  the  United  States  is  esti- 
mated by  clerics  at  one  million.  This 
\ast  organized  host  is  the  product  of 
modern  times.  Xothing  akin  to  it  was 
known  a  little  more  than  a  century 
ago.  To  search  for  its  beginning  is 
confessedly  interesting. 


Some  have  maintained  that  some- 
thing akin  to  Sunday  Schools  has  ex- 
isted from  the  early  ages  of  the  Jew- 
ish and  Christian  churches. 

While  parental  instruction  was  un- 
doubtedly given  at  all  times  to  chil- 
dren it  must  be  confessed  that  noth- 
ing in  the  way  of  Sunday  schools  ex- 
isted before  the  foundation  of  the 
Christian  church  at  least.  Nor  did  it 
exist  even  then  until  recent  times. 

\\  hat  are  known  as  public,  secular 
or  common  schools  were  not  in  exist- 
ence until  lately.  The  illiterate  condi- 
tion of  the  populace  in  England  as  re- 
lated by  INIacauly  was  extreme.  Their 
daily  condition  and  lack  of  comforts 
was  deplorable. 

Germany,  the  home  of  the  Reforma- 
tion and  its  outcome,  the  right  of  "pri- 
vate judgment"  at  once  accepted  the 
necessity  for  every  individual  to  be 
able  to  read  an  open  Bible. 

Luther  at  once  began  the  transla- 
tion of  the  Scriptures  which  also  gave 
form  and  substance  to  the  language. 

It  was  doubtless  these  facts  that  dif- 
fused education  over  the  Fatherland 
and  gave  to  every  child  the  rudiments 
of  an  education.  It  was  Chillinsfworth 


146 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


in  England  who  uttered  the  striking- 
war  cry — "The  Bible  !  the  Bible  !  Is 
the  Relig-ion  of  Protestants !" 

Supplementary  to  Luther's  "Justi- 
fication by  faith"  it  gave  an  enormous 
impetus  among  Protestant  peoples  for 
the  establishment  of  parochial  schools 
which  were  brought  to  America  in  the 
settlement  of  the  colonies.  It  was 
Christopher  Dock  the  pious  school- 
master of  the  Skippack  who  wrote  and 
published  the  first  book  on  teaching 
in  America  in  1770.  This  book  has  re- 
cently been  edited  by  Dr.  M.  G.  Brum- 
l)augh  and  published  by  Lippincotts. 
Dock  came  to  America  in  1714.  As 
early  as  1718  he  began  teaching  which 
he  followed  almost  continuously  till 
the  time  of  his  death  in  1771.  The  ex- 
act date  of  his  birth  is  unknoAvn.  He 
was  a  man  of  marked  conscientious- 
ness and  modesty  and  his  name 
though  long  obscured  bids  fair  to  be 
])erpetuated   and   better   known. 

The  "Log  Colleges  "  in  Pennsylva- 
nia, among  which  were  that  at 
-Veshaming  in  Bucks  County,  con- 
ducted by  the  celebrated  William 
Tennent  and  another  at  Washington, 
Pa.,  with  the  "  Log  Academy  "  near 
Nevvburg,  Cumberland  County,  turn- 
ed out  many  noted  pupils  who  after- 
wards became  noted  in  the  annals  of 
the  country.  These  schools  did  a  very 
important  work  during  the  primitive 
and  formative  period,  in  preparing 
young  men  as  teachers  and  for  the 
ministry. 

They  were  succeeded  by  other  and 
better  improved  means  in  the  course 
of-  time. 

S'liritual  instruction  was  mostlv 
carried  out  under  parental  oversight. 
The  Lord's  Day  was  mostly  devoted 
to  church  services,  scripture  reading 
and  meditation.  Probably  much  of  the 
subject  matter  was  beyond  the  mental 
develonment  of  the  young  and  thus 
nroved  irksome.  The  emphasis  was 
mostl}'  placed  ui)on  the  \A^)rd  rather 
than  the  Works  of  God.  The  Sab])ath 
in  New  England  retained  manv  of  its 
Mosaic  features,  as  it  did  and  still 
does   in    Scotland.       The   dav  in    Ne\\' 


England  began  at  sundown  on  Satur- 
day evening  and  terminated  at  sun- 
down on  Sunday  evening.  Henry 
Ward  Beecher  relates  that  when  he 
was  a  boy  with  others  they  all  stood 
in  line  watching  the  disaj)pearance  of 
the  sun  and  as  he  disappeared  they 
nudged  each  other  and  whispered : 
"  Do  you  see  him  losing  himself?" 

Doubtless  the  method  in  use  proved 
acceptable  to  those  who  carrierl  it  out, 
but  still  it  was  held  to  be  inefficient 
as  large  numbers  of  paients,  it  was 
held,  neglected  their  obligations  and 
large  numbers  of  children  grew  up 
without  provision  for  their  enlighten- 
ment. 

It  is  generally  claimed  that  the  Sun- 
day School  originated  through  the 
efforts  of  Robert  Raikes  of  Glouces- 
ter, England.  He  was  born  in  1735  and 
was  the  son  of  Robert  Raikes.  The 
father  was  a  printer  and  published  a 
paper  in  Gloucester.  The  lather  dying 
'"  1757  the  son  succeeded  him  in  the 
business.  Along  with  some  others  he 
started  a  Sunday  School  in  the  town 
in  1780,  some  say  in  1781-2-^-4,  the 
exact  date  not  being  certain. 

This  work  continued  for  about  30 
years  up  to  the  period  of  his  death  in 
181 1  at  the  age  of  76  years.  He  pub- 
lished the  accounts  of  the  movement 
in  his  journal  which  was  copied  by  the 
London  press,  and  caused  wide-spread 
comment.  He  lived  to  see  the  move- 
ment widely  extended  during  his  life. 

It  has  been  said  that  Raikes  conceiv- 
ed the  necessity  for  the  Sunday  School 
among  the  neglected  children  of  the 
communit}"  who  were  without  secular 
or  s)iritual  instruction.  Probably  un- 
der the  circumstances  the  early  Sun- 
da  v  School  embraced  both  kinds  of  in- 
struction from  the  necessity  of  the 
case  in  that  early  day.  To  have  done 
otherwise  would  have  seemed  almost 
impossible. 

The  dejjarture  was  novel,  moreover 
it  was  practical.  That  it  met  with  o])- 
position  whch  has  come  down  almost 
to  our  own  time  must  be  frankly  ad- 
mitted. But  in  the  main  the  idea  was 
fruitful,  grew  and  developed. 


THE    ORIGIN    OF    SUNDAY    SCHOOLS 


IV, 


Probably  it  proved  to  be  the  great- 
est adjuvant  the  church  has  ever  had. 

l-'or  some  years  past  the  priority  ol' 
Rt)bert  Raikes  in  this  field  would 
seem  are  called  in  question.  Simul- 
taneous claims  however  would  seem 
to  be  numerous  in  the  field  of  origina- 
tion i)r  discovery.  It  merely  shows 
that  the  necessity  for  new  develop- 
ments was  seen  in  xarious  directions 
and  places  and  that  efforts  were  being 
made,  unknown  to  others  though,  to 
fill  these  wants.  The  discovery  of  the 
Calculus  simultaneously  by  Newton 
and  Leibnitz ;  of  oxygen  by  Priestly 
in  England  and  Scheele  in  Sweden ; 
the  discovery  of  two  gases  in  com^:)Osi- 
tion  of  w^ater  by  Cavendish  and  Watt ; 
the  discovery  of  Neptune  by  Lcverrier 
and  Adams  and  the  enunciation  of 
the  theory  of  Natural  Selection  by 
Darwin  and  Wallace  all  illustiate  the 
truth  of  the  proposition  in  question. 

Even  though  opposing  claims  of 
priority  may  be  held,  they  but  show 
that  the  time  was  ripe  for  this  new 
departure  and  development. 

I'hey  arose  independently  without 
knowledge  of  each  other  and  must 
therefore  all  be  cordially  welcomed. 
Whether  one  preceded  the  other  by  a 
brief  space  of  time  is  immaterial  since 
they  all  tended  to  the  same  general 
end  independently.  Improvements  and 
additions  are  made  through  necessary 
experiences.  The  educational  exhibits 
at  our  expositions  show  this  matter  in 
its  true  light. 

Development  is  universal  and  con- 
tinuous throughout  s])ace  and 
throughout  time. 

The  claim  f(^r  the  founder  of  the 
first  Sunday  School  has  also  been 
made  for  the  Lutheran  pastor  Stuber 
which  was  continued  by  his  successor 
the  world  renowned  pastor  Jean  Fried- 
erich  Oberlin  (1740-1826)  of  S<-cinthal. 
Alsace.  To  few  men  has  it  fallen  to 
produce  a  greater  effect  uj)on  a  popu- 
lation than  ti^  01)erlin.  The  noted 
town  and  university  in  Ohio  was 
named  after  him.  His  work  upon  the 
P(^')idation  of  Steinthal  was  magical. 
1  tc  cc^nduccd  to  its  material  and  spirit- 


ual progress  through  his  own  example 
and  labors.  His  work  and  life  have 
l)een  largely  written  about  by  others 
and  will  richly  repay  reading.  He 
is  also  claimed  to  be  the  originator 
of  infant  schools  although  this  honor 
has  also  been  claimed  for  Robert 
Owen  of  Scotland  who  was  aJso  well 
known  in  America,  as  the  father  of 
English    Socialism   and   Secularism. 

It  is  claimed  that  pastors  Stuljcr  and 
Oberlin  founded  Simday  schools  as 
early  as  1/(^7.  That  is  both  possible 
and  probable. 

Steinthal  from  being  a  poverty 
stricken  region  containing  no  more 
than  500  inhabitants.  had  thirty 
years  later  increased  to  3,000.  Its 
growth  has  been  continuous  up  to  the 
present  time.  Such  is  the  eft'ect  pro- 
duced by  a  born  leader,  a  man  of  sin- 
cere faith  and  with  the  love  of  his 
fellow  men  at  heart. 

The  change  produced  by  Robert 
Owen  among  his  operatives  at  New 
Lanark  in  Scotland  was  another  case 
in  point.  The  leadership  of  George 
Rap])  at  Economy,  in  western  Penn- 
sylvania, in  promoting  the  welfare  of 
his  followers  during  his  litetime. 
shows  wdiat  good  leadership  is  cap- 
able of  when  in  the  hands  of  one  who 
replaces  self-interest  with  altruism  ; 
one  who  sinks  the  ego  for  the  benefit 
of  the  whole. 

But  there  are  claims  for  still  earlier 
))riority  for  the  formation  of  the  first 
Sunday  school  close  by  our  own 
doors.  The  ^lystics  of  the  Wissa- 
hickon  and  the  hermits  and  anchorites 
of  the  Cocalico  wdio  settled  near  Eph- 
rata  and  later  founded  this  monas- 
tery during  the  first  (juarter  of  the 
18th  century  accomplished  many  no- 
ted things  during  that  early  jjeriod.  In 
fact  among  these  recluses  were  men 
of  education  and  talent.  Theirs  is  one 
of  the  most  interesting  local  histories 
which    Pennsyhania   has   produced. 

Their  singing,  their  printing  and 
their  Axriting  schools  were  marvels  of 
art  in  that  day.  Specimens  ot  their 
writing  may  be  seen  in  the  Saal-l)uild- 
iuL;-    which  was  also  nsed  for  the  Sun- 


148 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


day  school  and  which  still  remains. 
The  writing  has  very  much  faded  but 
photographic  copies  have  been  made. 
Many  educated  men  and  accomplished 
women  were  found  in  their  ranks. 
They  established  a  secular  school 
which  was  much  patronized  by  people 
from  the  cities.  The  monks  of  the 
Wissahickon  and  those  of  Ephrata  as 
a  rule  were  scholarly  men  but  so  un- 
obtrusive were  they  that  their  merits 
escaped  the  outside  world  in  that  day. 
But  it  is  now  conceded  that  the 
cradle  of  German  literature  in  Ameri- 
ca originated  in  the  vale  of  the  Muh- 
bach  in  Lancaster  county,  Pa.,  in  that 
early  day.  The  organization  of  the 
e  d  u  c  ational  department  of  the 
Ephrata  Community  may  be  said  to 
date  from  the  arrival  of  Ludwig  Mock- 
er in  the  early  spring  of  1739.  He  had 
appeared  among  the  Mystics  of  the 
Wissahickon  at  the  since  famous  mon- 
astery, but  soon  cast  his  lot  with  the 
Ephrata  Community,  when  he  became 
known  under  the  conventual  name  of 
Brother  Obed.  His  wife  took  the 
name  of  Sister  Albina  and  their 
daughter  that  of  Sister  Petronella.  He 
was  soon  after  his  arrival  installed  as 
the  Schoolmaster  of  the  Congregation, 
instructing  the  youth  in  the  rudiments 
of  learning. 

He  at  an  early  day  compiled  and 
published  a  German  school  book  for 
the  use  of  his  pupils.  No  copy  of  the 
original  issue  of  the  book  has  come 
down  to  us  but  reprints  are  in  exist- 
ence. The  following  year  in  1740  he 
established  a  Sabbath  School  for  the 
children  of  the  Community.  It  must 
be  remembered  there  were  two  classes 
in  the  Community,  the  Solitary  and 
the  Household  of  the  Congregation. 
These  people  from  their  name,  the 
.Seventh  Day  German  Baptists  ob- 
served Saturday  or  the  Seventh  Dav 
as  the  Sabbath.  Several  modern  sects 
like  the  Seventh  Da}''  Baptists  and  the 
Seventh  Day  Adventists  still  observe 
the  seventh  day. 

Tn  fact  during  the  early  period  of 
the  Christian  Church  there  was  con- 
siderable difference  in   the  observance 


of  the  day.  Some  obfecrving  the 
seventh  and  others  the  first  day  of  the 
week.  In  fact  in  Scotland  both  days 
at  one  period  were  observed.  The 
people  surrounding  the  Ephrata  Com- 
munity observed  the  first  of  the  week 
therefore  in  teaching  the  children  of 
the  neighborhood  there  was  a  Sunday 
School  for  them  as  well  as  a  Sabbath 
School  for  the  children  of  the  Congre- 
gation. All  this  was  apart  from  the 
usual  week  day  school  as  it  was 
termed. 

It  has  been  claimed  by  those  who 
dissent  from  these  claims  that  there 
was  absoluetly  no  proof  that  either 
Sabbath  day  or  Sunday  Schools  were 
ever  regularly  held  at  Ephrata.  A 
letter  dated  February  3rd  1835  where- 
in Thomas  Davis  of  Chester  County 
who  was  then  in  his  72nd  year  says 
that  he  went  to  the  Sabbath  School  at 
Eohrata  until  he  was  13  years  of  age 
when  it  was  discontinued  evidently  on 
account  of  the  buildings  being  requir- 
ed for  hospital  purposes. 

This  would  make  the  period  1777 
when  500  wounded  were  brought  after 
the  battle  of  Brandywine  of  whom  200 
died  of  a  malignant  camp  fever  and 
were  buried  in  the  upper  graveyard 
where  a  monument  has  lately  been 
erected  to  their  memory.  This  Sunday 
school  would  therefore  seem  to  have 
been  founded  about  40  years  before 
Robert  Raikes  began  his  school  at 
Gloucester.  Spiritual  reward  cards 
were  also  given  to  children  of  the 
Sabbath  school,  some  of  which  have 
been  reproduced. 

Brother  Obed  was  assisted  in  this 
work  by  his  daughter,  Sister  Petro- 
nella, who  has  been  described  "as  a 
lovely,  beautiful  girl  not  only  comely 
in  form,  but  lovely  and  beautiful  in 
her  character  as  an  ardent,  active 
worker  in  the  Sabbath  school,  as  she 
was  in  every  Christian  virtue  *'  Maria 
Hocker  (Sister  Petronella)  was  per- 
haps the  first  female  Sunday  school 
teacher  of  whom  we  have  any  record 
if  we  admit  the  foregoing  facts  as 
being  historical.  Prof.  M.  G.  Brum- 
baugh   in   his   "History   of  the   Breth- 


THE    ORIGIN    OF    SUNDAY    SCHOOLS 


149 


reir '  says  :  "There  is  evidence  to  justify 
the  claim  that  the  Germantown  con- 
gregation had  a  Sabbath  school  before 
1738.  The  meeting  for  the  unmarried 
held  every  Sunday  afternoon  was 
doubtless  a  Sunday  school.  Ludwig 
ilocker  may  have  been  the  leader  of 
this  meeting.  In  1744  Christoi)her 
Saur  ])rinted  a  collection  of  381  tick- 
ets upon  each  one  of  which  is  a  scrip- 
tural quotation  and  a  stanza  of  relig- 
ious poetry  by  Gerhard  Tersteegen. 
These  were  evidently  used  in  the 
I'rethren's  Sunday  School.  A  set  of 
these  tickets  in  excellent  condition  is 
now  in  my  possession.  It  is  '.veil  to 
note  that  Sunday  Schools,  Council 
Meeting  and  an  Odd  Folks  Home 
were  instituted  by  these  early  Breth- 
ren. 

lUit  the  question  still  arises,  from 
which  of  these  points  did  the  Sunday 
school  spread  over  the  world?  It 
must  be  admitted  that  it  spread  from 
the  movement  of  Robert  Raikes.  "The 
Philadelphia  Society  for  the  Support 
of  Sunday  schools,"  was  the  earliest 
society  formed  in  the  United  States  in 
1786,  shows  that  Raikes'  idea  had 
taken  root  and  has  been  developing 
ever  since. 

The  first  man  who  began  Sunday 
schools  among  his  mill  operatives  at 
Webster,  Massachusetts  and  the 
neighboring  town  of  Slatersville, 
Rhode  Island  was  Thomas  Slater, 
(1768-1835.)  These  schools  were 
formd  in  1791  and  were  probably  the 
earliest  in  this  country.  He  also  estab- 
lished secular  schools  for  his  employ- 
ees' children  and  also  advanced  cotton 
spinning  and  the  iron  indus'.ry.  In 
fact  to  him  and  to  his  brother  New 
England  was  largely  indebted  for  the 
development  of  her  cotton  industries. 
The  interest  he  manifested  in  the  wel- 


fare of  his  operatives  is  a  landmark  in 
the  relation  of  capital  and  lalx^r.  The 
.Sunday  school  work  now  rapidly  ex- 
tended. It  was  introduced  into  York 
county.  Pa.,  in  1817  through  the 
organization  of  the  '"York  county 
Bible  Charity  and  Sunday  School 
Society."  And  under  a  charter  granted 
by  the  legislature  was  permanently 
organized  by  electing  Rev.  Samuel 
Bacon  as  its  president  in  the  same 
year.  This  meeting  as  well  as  the  first 
Sunday  school  under  its  auspices  was 
held  in  a  building  still  standing 
immediately  west  of  the  Friend's 
Meeting  house  on  Philade!])hia  St.  In 
this  building  also  was  held  the  Lan- 
castrian school  by  Amos  Gilbert  and 
Abner  Thc:)mas,  two  I'Viends  who  also 
assisted  in  the  Sunday  school.  The 
following  year  1818  the  school  was  re- 
moved to  the  building  of  the  York 
Comity  Academy  which  was  erected 
in  1787.  Rev.  Bacon  in  those  early 
years  formed  schools  all  over  the 
county.  In  September  1819  the  mem- 
bership of  the  schools  was  over  2.000. 
He  started  a  school  at  Lewisberry  as 
earl}^  as  1817.  The  work  extended  to 
every  point  in  the  coimty  very  rapidly. 
At  first  they  were  union  schools  but 
were  speedily  organized  as  denomina- 
tional schools.  Christ  Lutheran  Sun- 
day   school    in    York    was    formed    in 

1819.  The  IMethodist  Episcopal  fol- 
lowed in  1824.  St.  John's  Episcopal 
was  organized  in  1826.  The  English 
Reformed  in  1828  and  others  a  little 
later.  The  African.  Methodist  Episco- 
pal of  York  was  organized  as  early  as 

1 820. 

Such  is  a  brief  resume  of  a  work 
that  was  humble  in  its  beginnings 
but  which  has  reached  immense  pro- 
portions. 


150 


How  Easter  is  Observed  by  the  Moravians 

By  Louise  A.  Weitzel,  Lititz,  Pa. 


1 


unm 


N  THEIR  manner  of  ob- 
serving Easter  the  Mora- 
vians differ  most  wide- 
ly from  other  denomina- 
tions.They  have  a  unique 
and  peculiar,  a  beau- 
tiful and  significant  way 
of  celebrating  the  suffer- 
ings, death,  and,  above  all,  the  resur- 
rection of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Yet 
it  is  all  very  simple.  There  is  noth- 
ing that  savors  in  the  least  of  Ro- 
manism. The  beauty  and  impressive- 
ness  lie  in  its  very  simplicity  and  a  de- 
scription like  mine  can  give  the  reader 
only  a  very  inadequate  conception  of 
the  real  charm  of  these  services. 

Every  day  throughout  the  Holy 
\\  eek,  or  PassionWeek,  as  it  is  called 
by  the  Moravians,  services  are  held 
and  these  consist  for  the  most  part  of 
readings  by  the  pastor  from  a  manual 
containing  the  Harmony  of  the  Gos- 
pels on  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  inter- 
spersed with  singing  by  the  congre- 
gation of  hymns  composed  for  this 
season.  The  Moravian  hymnology  is 
ver)^  rich.  The  selections  rendered  by 
choir  and  orchestra  are  often  those  of 
'Moravian  composers,  which  exist  only 
in  manuscript  and  are  unknown  to 
the  non-Moravian  world.  The  church 
always  laid  much  stress  upon  musical 
culture  from  the  earliest  times,  and 
some  of  these  productions  are  consid- 
ered by  conioetent  critics  to  be  of  a 
very  high  order  of  excellence,  and, 
while  not  quite  equal  to  the  works  of 
the  great  masters,  are  often  better 
a(la])ted  for  the  purpose  designed 
than   the   latter  could  be. 

The  ()]iening  service  of  the  Passion 
Week,  in  the  Moravian  church  at 
Lititz,  Pa.,  is  held  on  the  Saturday 
evening  preceding  Palm  Sunday.  It 
has  for  many  years  been  cu.'^tomarv 
for  the  choir  and  orchestra  to   render 


"O  Bethanien,  du  Friedenshiitte,"  by 
Soerensen,  a  Moravian  composer.  In 
this  connection  it  might  be  interest- 
ing to  state  that  the  oldest  member  of 
the  orchestra  is  Mr.  Abraham  R, 
Beck,  75  years  old,  who  has  for  the 
last  forty-seven  years  played  a  violin 
during  the  rendering  of  this  composi- 
tion, which  he  purchased  in  1862  at  a 
sale  of  the  personal  property  of  John 
William  Ranch,  a  skillful  violinist  in 
his  time,  who  used  it,  as  nearly  as 
can  be  ascertained,  since  1820.  The 
instrument  was  made  in  1817  at  Neu- 
kirchen  bei  Adorf,  Germany,  by 
George  Friedrich  Lippold,  a  noted 
maker  of  violins,  and  is  beautiful!}' 
finished  in  ivory.  It  is  consequently 
ninety-two  years  old  and  Mr.  Beck 
would  not  part  with  it  at  any  price. 

Another  interesting  fact  that  might 
be  mentioned  is  that  there  are  two 
more  Becks  in  the  orchestra,  sons  of 
Mr.  Abraham  I'.cck,  Mr.  Paul  E.  Beck, 
•organist  and  choir  leader,  who  is  also 
leader  of  the  Lititz  band,  known  as 
Beck's  Concert  Band,  a  member  of 
the  trombone  choir,  and  art  instructor 
in  the  public  schools  of  Lititz  and 
Ephrata,  and  Mr.  Herl)crt  H.  Beck, 
professor  of  chemistry  at  Franklin  & 
Marshall  C(^llege,  Lancaster,  who  is 
a  very  fine  \'ioIinist. 

John  Beck,  the  pioneer  educator  of 
Lancaster  County,  was  the  grandfath- 
er of  these  young  men  and  James 
r>eck,  the  distinguished  jurist  and 
orator,   is  their  cousin. 

On  Palm  Sunday  there  is  reception 
of  members  in  the  morning,  by  bap- 
tism, confirmation  and  the  right  hand 
of  fellowship  for  those  received  from 
other  churches.  On  this  occasion  a 
quartette  of  male  voices  usually  ren~ 
(lers  the  familiar  hymn,  "Just  as  I 
am.  wihout  one  plea."  to  a  tune  com- 
]~»oscd   by  Mr.   Abraham   R.   Beck.     In 


HOW  EASTER   IS  OBSERVED  BY   THE   MORAVIANS 


151 


the  evening-  the  children  and  choir 
sing"  the  "llosanna"  chorus,  by  Gre- 
gor,  which  is  also  sung  the  world  over 
at  this  time  in  Moravian  churches. 

On  JMaundy  Thursday  the  Holy 
Communion  is  administered,  two  ser- 
vices being  held,  one  in  the  German 
language  in  the  afternoon,  and  in  the 
English  language  in  the  evening.  The 
trombone  choir  plays  a  choral  at  the 
opening  of  these  services,  as  at  all 
communions  and  lovefeasts.Thc  Mora- 
vian communion  also  differs  from 
those  of  other  churches  in  this  respect 
that,  with  the  exception  of  prayer  by 
the  pastor  and  silent  prayer,  it  is  en- 
tirely a  service  of  song.The  communi- 
cants do  not  kneel  before  the  altar  to 
receive  the  sacraments  but  remain  in 
their  pews,  rising  as  the  pastor  ajj- 
])roaches  with  the  bread  antl  wine. 
Every  alternate  pew  is  left  vacant  for 
the  convenience  of  serving  and  the 
])astor  is  generally  assisted  by  some 
other  clerical  brother,  as  for  instance. 
the  principal  of  Linden  Hall  Semi- 
•nary. 

On  Good  hViday  three  services  are 
held,  one  in  the  morning,  one  in  the 
afternoon  and  one  in  the  evening.  The 
afternoon  service  is  the  most  impres- 
sive. As  the  pastor  ends  the  reading 
nf  the  death  of  Christ  with  the  words: 
""And  when  Jesus  had  cried  again  with 
a  loud  voice,  he  said.  Father,  into  Thy 
hands  I  commend  my  spirit,  and,  hav- 
ing said  thus,  he  bowed  his  head,  and 
gave  up  the  ghost,"  the  congregation 
then  kneels  in  silent  prayer.  Prayer 
by  the  i^astor  then  follows  while  a 
bell  in  the  Mary  Dixon  Chai)el  tower 
at  Linden  llali  .Seminary  tolls  thirty 
three  times. 

The  evening  serxice  is  mostly  musi- 
cal, the  hymns  and  clioir  selections  all 
l)earing  upon  the  theme  of  the  burial 
of  Christ. 

On  Great  Sal)l)atli  a  funeral  Ihnc- 
fcast  is  held  in  the  afternoon,  the  rest 
in  the  grave  being  the  theme  of  the 
music. 

During  the  whole  week  the  tenor  of 
all  the  hvmns  and  musical  com]>osi- 
tions    rendered    are   of   a    solemn,    fun- 


ereal type  adapted  to  the  passion  and 
death  of  our  Lord,  and  the  Moravian 
])salmody  is  especially  rich  in  hymns 
of  this  kind  as  they  have  always  laid 
much  stress  upon  the  crucified  Lamb. 
Hut  when  Easter  Sunday  comes  the 
lune  is  changed,  and  there  is  a  jubi- 
lant, joyous,  triumphant  ring  in  all 
the  music  that  harmonizes  with  the 
opening  words  of  the  Easter  morning 
service.  "The  Lord  is  risen,"  and  the 
response,  "The  Lord  is  risen  indeed!" 
The  character  of  the  fioral  decorations 
is  also  changed.  On  Palm  Sunday 
calla  lilies  and  palms  predominate, 
through  the  following  days  a  few 
green  foliage  plants  suffice ;  oa  Good 
Friday  scarlet  flowers  appear  and  on 
Great  Sabbath  a  few  purple  blossoms. 
l)Ut  on  Easter  morning  there  is  a 
whole  bank  of  blossoms  and  plants  of 
every  color  and  kind  occupying  the 
pulpit  recess,  the  Easter  lilies  filling 
the  whole  church  with  fragrance,  and 
possibh'  a  rustic  cross  in  the  back- 
ground. 

A  service  is  held  in  the  chutch  just 
l)efore  sunrise,  and,  in  order  to  arouse 
the  population  for  this  early  service, 
the  trombone  choir,  often  augmented 
from  the  usual  five  or  si.x  to  nine  or 
ten,  visiting  brethren  volunteering  to 
help  and  even  the  old,  sliding  trom- 
bones' being  called  into  use,  marches 
about  the  town,  playing  chorales  at 
the  street  corners  for  several  hours 
preceding  the  meeting.  For  iiistance, 
if  the  service  is  held  at  5  t^clock  the 
tram])  begins  at  3.  The  sweet,  solemn 
strains  fall  ui)ou  the  ears  of  the 
drowsy  listeners  like  distant  angel 
music,  and.  as  these  same  listeners 
pee])  between  half  closed  blinds  they 
can  see  a  band  of  dusky  figures  wend- 
ing their  way  through  the  silent 
streets,  fitfully  illuminated  bv  a  hall 
dozen  torches,  while  the  calm  stars 
are  shining  overhead.  Here  and  there 
a  light  appears  at  a  window,  here  and 
there  a  figure,  or  two  or  three  issue 
from  a  door.  and.  bv  the  time  the 
church  bell  rings,  the  church  is 
crowded  with  a  reverent  throng  of 
worshippers.     After  the  final  selection 


152 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


has  been  played  in  the  church  square 
the  trombonists,  the  torch-bearers  and 
the  choir  of  singers  are  regaled  with 
sugar  cake  and  coffee  and  other  good 
things  in  the  old  chapel  adjoining  the 
church. 

The  Easter  morning  service  is  en- 
tirely a  liturgical  service,  and.  as  the 
Moravian  church  has  no  formal  creed, 
this  is  sometimes  called  the  Moravian 
creed,  and,  a  good  Bible  creed  it  is, 
than  which  no  denomination  can  pro- 
duce anything  better.  Weather  per- 
mitting the  service  is  concluded  in 
the  older  part  of  the  cemetery  where 
none  but  Moravians  are  buried  and 
the  tombstones  are  laid  flat,  on  the 
hill  some  little  distance  in  the  rear  of 
the  church,  a  procession  being  formed 
in  the  following  order:  namely,  the 
pastor,  the  tromlxtnists,  the  choir,  the 
w^omen,  and,  then  the  men  of  the  con- 
gregation, after  which  follows  the 
ntixed  multitude.  Arriving  at  the 
proper  place  a  semi-circle  is  formed 
facing  the  eastern  horizon  where  the 
sun  rises  on  clear  mornings  about  the 
time  the  service    is    concluded.       The 


pure,  bracing  air  of  the  early  morning, 
the  glory  of  the  rising  sun,  the  song  of 
birds,  the  flower-bedecked  graves  all 
around  and  the  solemn  voice  of  the 
preacher  as  he  reads,  "Glory  be  to 
Him  who  is  the  Resurrection  and  the 
Life,"  produce  an  impression  never  to 
be  effaced. 

Old  Moravians  find  it  as  im])ressive 
as  the  stranger  who  takes  part  in  this 
service  for  the  first  time. 

The  Easter  sermon  follows  at  lo 
o'clock,  as  also  another  special  liturgy 
and  further  music  by  choir  and  or- 
chestra. The  Sunday  School  has  its 
exercises  in  the  afternoon.  In  the 
evening  the  history  of  the  resurrection 
is  read  by  the  pastor  and  the  climax 
is  reached  as  far  as  the  music  is  con- 
cerned. On  Easter  Sunda}^  the  offer- 
ings are  always  gathered  for  the 
church's  world-wide  missions,  and.  as 
the  services  are  all  well  attended,  it  is 
usuall}^  a  very  liberal  offering. 

Lovers  of  music  might  find  it  inter- 
esting to  attend  a  Moravan  Easter  ser- 
vice. 


Washington  to  the  German-Lutherans 

By  H.  C.  Salem,  Ev.  Lutheran  Pastor,  New  Bethlehem,  Pa. 


EBRUARY    22nd    of    each 
year     we     celebrate     the 
birth    of    George    Wash- 
ington, the  Father  of  his 
Country.    Anything  writ- 
ten  by  him   is  of  special 
interest  to  the  readers  of 
THE  PENNSYLVANIA  -  GERMAN 
at  this  season.     The   letter  is   as   fol- 
lows : 

"To  the  Ministers,  Church  Council 
and  members  of  the  German  Luth- 
eran Congregations  in  and  near 
Philadelphia : 

Gentlemen : 

While  I  request  }-ou  to  accept  my 
thanks  for  your  kind  address,  I  must 


profess  myself  highly  gratified  by  the 
sentiments  of  esteem  and  considera- 
tion contained  in  it. 

The  approbation  of  my  past  conduct 
has  received  from  so  worthy  a  body  of 
citizens  as  that  whose  joy  for  my  ap- 
pointment yoti  announce,  is  a  proof  of 
the  indulgence  with  which  my  future 
transactions  will  be  judged  by  them. 

I  could  not.  however,  avoid  appre- 
hending that  the  partiality  of  my 
countrymen  in  favor  of  the  measures 
now  pursued  has  led  them  to  expect 
too  much  from  the  present  govern- 
ment ;  did  not  the  same  Providence 
which  has  been  visible  in  every  stage 
of    our    progress    to    this    interesting 


WASHINGTON'S     LETTER     TO    GERMAN-LUTHERANS 


153 


crisis  from  a  combinaton  of  circum- 
stances, give  us  cause  to  hope  for  the 
accomplishment  of  all  our  reasonable 
desires. 

Thus  partaking  with  you  in  the 
])leasing  anticipation  of  the  blessings 
of  a  wise  and  efficient  government ;  I 
flatter  myself  that  opi)ortunities  will 
not  be  wanting  for  me  to  show  my  dis- 
position to  encourage  the  domestic 
and  public  virtues  of  Industry,  Econo- 
my, Patriotism,  Philanthropy,  and 
that  Righteousness  which  exalteth  a 
Nation. 

I  rejoice  in  having  so  suitable  an  oc- 
casion to  testify  the  reciprocity  of  my 
esteem  for  the  numerous  people  you 
renresent.  For  the  excellent  charac- 
ter for  diligence,  sobriety  and  virtue, 
which  the  Germans  in  general,  who 
are  settled  in  America,  have  ever  main- 
tained, I  cannot  forbear  felicitating 
myself  on  receiving  from  so  respect- 
able a  number  of  them  so  strong  as- 
surances of  their  afifection  for  m}- 
person,  confidence  in  my  integrity, 
and  zeal  to  support  me  in  my  en- 
deavors for  promoting  the  welfare  of 
our  common   Country. 


So  long  as  my  conduct  shall  merit  the 
api)robation  of  the  WISE  and  the 
GOOD,  I  hope  to  hold  the  same  place 
in  your  affection  which  your  friendly 
declarations  induce  me  to  believe  I 
possess  at  present;  and  amidst  all 
the  vicissitudes  that  may  await  me  in 
this  mutable  existence,  I  shall  earnest- 
ly desire  the  continuation  of  an  inter- 
est in  your  intercessions  at  the 
THRONE  of  GRACE. 

G.  WASHINGTON." 

NOTE — Your  readers  will  be  impressed 
with  the  pure  diction  of  the  above  admir- 
able letter;  with  his  high  appreciation  of 
Christian  church  members;  with  his  splen- 
did tribute  to  the  Germans;  with  the 
statesmanlike  tone  of  the  documeiit;  with 
the  great  principles  that  would  '.ifluence 
him  in  the  performance  of  his  civil  duties: 
with  his  utter  dependence  on  the  THRONFI 
of  GRACE  for  his  success  in  administering 
the  affairs  of  state.  How  thankful  we  all 
should  be  that  we  had  such  a  man  to  guide 
our  Ship  of  State  in  her  early  infancy. 
Washington  was  pre-eminently  qualified 
for  that  trying  position  in  which  he  placed 
our  Government  on  a  solid  foundation,  and 
placed  his  name  indelibly  upon  the  pages 
of  history. 


Pennsylvania  Germans  in  Public  Life  During  the 

Colonial  Period 

By  Charles  R.  Roberts,  AUentown,  Pa. 


SENTENCE  in  a  recent 
magazine  article  that 
may  be  said  to  have  in- 
spired this  paper  ran  as 
follows  :  "  The  English 
were  leaders  and  the 
Germans  were  followers 
in  the  early  days." 
While  we  must  admit  that  in  the 
main  this  statement  is  true,  yet  there 
are  many  examples  of  nien  of  Ger- 
man blood  who  were  leaders  and  men 
of  prominence  in  Colonial  times.  The 
English  certainly  were  in  control  of 
affairs,  through  the  Proprietary  Party. 


liut  the  advent  of  thousands  of  Ger- 
mans, who.  influenced  by  Sauer's 
pa])cr.  published  in  Germantown,  af- 
filiated politically  with  the  Quakers, 
in  opposition  to  the  Proprietary  j^arty 
l)rought  into  prominence  a  number  of 
German   citizens. 

This  alliance  enabled  the  Friends  in 
hold  a  controlling  voice  in  the  aftairs 
not  only  of  this  county,  as  a  part  of 
old  Northampton,  but  in  the  province, 
being  for  years  the  ruling  power  in 
the  Assembly. 

Samuel  Wharton,  a  promirent  writer 
of  that  time,    wliose    prejudices    were 


154 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


evidently  on  the  side  of  the  Proprie- 
tary party,  proposed  that  the  children 
of  the  Germans  should  be  obliged  to 
learn  in  the  Eng-lish  tongue,  and  that, 
while  this  was  being  accomplished, 
the  government  should  suspend  their 
right  of  voting  for  members  of  the 
Assembly;  and  that,  the  soone'^  to  in- 
cline them  to  become  English,  they 
should  be  compelled  to  make  all  bonds 
and  other  legal  writings,  in  the  Eng- 
lish, and  that  no  newspaper  or  alma- 
nac, in  German,  be  allowed  circulated 
among  them,  unless  accomj)anied  by 
its  English  translation. 
However,  the  conditions  under  which 
a  German,  or  any  other  person,  for 
that  matter,  was  permitted  to  vote, 
appear  to  me  to  have  been  so  strin- 
gent, as  to  exclude  a  large  number 
from  the  right  of  voting.  An  act  reg- 
ulating the  election  of  members  of 
the  assembly  passed  in  1705.  provided 
"that  no  Inhabitant  of  this  Province 
shall  have  the  Right  of  electing,  or 
l)eing  elected,  unless  he  or  thev  be 
natural  born  Subjects  of  England,  or 
be  naturalized  in  England,  or  in  this 
Government,  and  unless  such  Persou 
or  Persons  be  of  the  age  of  iwenty- 
one  Years,  or  upwards,  and  be  a  Free-. 
holder  or  Freeholders  in  this  Province 
and  have  Fift}^  Acres  of  Land  or  more 
well  seated,  and  Twelve  Acres  thereof 
or  more  cleared  and  imoroved,  or  be 
otherwise  worth  Fifty  Pounds,  lawful 
Money  of  this  Province,  clear  Estate, 
and  have  been  resident  therein  for  the 
Space  of  Two  Years  before  such  Elec- 
tion." 

The  formatiou  of  Northamntou 
county  out  of  Rucks  in  1752  was  a 
political  plan,  originated  by  the  Pro- 
iirietary  party,  who  hoped,  by  setting 
ofif  the  Germans  in  the  new  county. 
^u(\  thus  depriving  the  Quakers  of 
their  support,  to  restore  the' control  of 
old  Rucks  to  the  government  partv. 
This  Avhich  mav  be  said  to  have  been 
the  first  political  scheme  in  which  our 
ancestors  in  this  locality  were  i..terest- 
cd  aroarentlv  did  not  at  once  succeed, 
as  at  the  first  election  in  Northampton 
cotiiitv.  held  at  Easton  on  October   t. 


1752,  William  Craig  was  chosen  Sher- 
iff, Robert  Gregg,  Benjamin  Shoe- 
maker and  Peter  Trexler,  county 
commissioners,  and  James  Bnrnside 
for  Member  of  Assembly.  PJurnside 
was  a  Moravian,  who  resided  near 
Bethlehem,  and  a  native  of  Ireland. 
He  was  the  Quaker  candidate,  and  de- 
feated his  opponent,  William  Parsons, 
the  founder  of  Easton,  by  upwards  of 
300  majority.  The  election  was  car- 
ried on  with  great  heat  and  acrimony, 
each  i)arty  accusing  the  other  oi  fraud 
and  foul  play,  and  the  candidates 
themselves  particularly  Parsons  show- 
ing great  excitement  and  anger.  Par- 
sons defeated  Burnside  in  1753,  but 
in  1754  Burnside  was  again  elected. 
He  died  in  1755.  and  was  buried  at 
Bethlehem. 

In  1755,  William  Edmonds,  also  a 
Moravian,  was  elected  by  621  votes 
to  represent  Northanii)ton  in  the  As- 
sembly. He  was  again  a  candidate  in 
1756,  but  the  Projjrietary  party  elect- 
ed \\'illiam  Allen,  the  founder  of  Al- 
lentown.  who  resided  in  Philadek^hia. 
and  had  then  a  himtins"  lodge  near  the 
i)anks  of  the  Jordan  creek,  the  site  of 
which  is  now  within  the  limits  of  this 
city.  Residence  in  a  county  was  not 
then  a  requisite  for  election  to  office, 
and  Allen  was  chosen  member  for 
Cumberland  countv  on  the  same  day. 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter 
written  bv  Rc^'.  ^^'illiam  Smith,  later 
Provost  of  the  Uni\-ersity  of  Pennsyl- 
\ania.  addressed  to  Mr.  Vernon,  at 
Easton.  dated  October  15.  1756.  shows 
the  situation  at  that  time.  He  says : 
"Mr.  Vernon,  it  gave  us  all  great 
Pleasure  to  find  3^ou  return  Mr.  Allen 
as  your  Re'oresentative.  but  as  he  was 
engaged  before  for  Cumberland  he 
was  obliged  in  Honour  to  stand  for 
that  county.  T  sunoose  Edmonds  will 
endeavor  with  all  his  might  to  get  in. 
but  I  hope  the  County  will  never  dis- 
grace itself  bv  putting  in  any  Mora- 
\-ian  whose  principle  for  ought  we 
know  may  be  Popish.  They  are 
against  Defence  and  you  knoAV  even 
refused  to  sell  Powder  to  Protestants 
tho"   it   is  said   thev  furnished   the  In- 


PENNSYLVANIA-GERMANS    IN    THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD 


155 


(Hans  with  il.  How  true  these  Things 
are  you  know  best,  but  it  would  be  a 
Shame  to  send  down  a  Moravian  at 
such  a  danjj^erous  Time.  You  should 
chuse  some  Man  of  Weight  who  can 
serve  you  with  the  Government  when 
you  want  anything-  in  Philadelphia. 
We  have  therefore  thot  that  no  Per- 
son would  be  so  fit  as  Mr.  I'lumstead. 
lie  is  known  in  your  county,  has 
lands  in  it.  and  is  a  very  honest  Man 
ant!  can  be  of  great  use  to  the  County. 
1  hope  you  will  sui)port  him  with  all 
your  Interest,  and  get  all  your  friends 
to  join  vou.  It  ha])pens  luckily  that 
Mr.  Plumstead  sets  out  to-morrow  on 
1  business  for  Cedar-Creek  and  will  be 
at  Easton.  For  Gods-Sake  stir  your- 
selves for  wdthout  we  get  Men  in  the 
Assemblv  who  will  defend  the  Coun- 
try we  shall  soon  be  ruined.'' 

Plumstead  was  elected  over  Ed- 
monds in  a  hot  contest,  but  his  elec- 
tion was  contested  by  Daniel  Brown 
John  Jones  and  Samuel  Mechlin,  on 
the  ground  "that  one  of  the  inspectors, 
notwithstanding  his  oath,  destroyed 
several  of  the  tickets  w^hich  were  in 
favor  of  \\'illiam  Edmonds,  and  were 
delivered  to  said  inspector,  and  that 
one  person  was  seen  to  deliver  tickets 
repeatedly  to  the  inspector,  and  third- 
ly, that  a  great  number  of  tickets  were 
folded  up  together,  some,  one  in  an- 
other, and  some  two  in  one,  which 
were  received  by  the  inspector  as  one 
ticket,  ^c."  and  Plumstead  never  Avas 
seated,  for  nearly  a  year  after,  the  As- 
sembly decided  against  him. 

William  Allen,  in  writing  to  a  friend 
in  England,  in  a  letter  dated  at  Phila- 
delnhia.  November  5,  1756.  wdiich,  T 
believe,  has  never  appeared  in  print, 
throws  light  on  the  subject.  He  savs 
in  part:  "Reverend  Sir:  I  have  been 
solicited  for  some  years  past  to  serve 
in  the  Back  Country  for  an  As- 
semblyman, but  have  declined  it, 
imagining  that  I  could  not,  among 
such  a  perverse  people,  be  able  to  ren- 
der my  country  service.  Piowe\  er,  this 
year,  as  I  conceived  our  all  was  at 
stake,  and  that,  as  the  Quakers  had 
promised  to  give  up  their  seats,  there 


might  be  a  probability  of  doing  good, 
1  gave  the  people  of  Cumberland 
county  (the  inhabitants  of  which  are 
composed  chiefly  of  P'resbytenans)  a 
con(litional  ])romise.  to  serve  them, 
that  is,  that  in  case  good  men  were  re- 
turned or  even  a  small  number  of 
them  in  the  other  counties,  I  would 
no  longer  decline  acting,  if  I  was 
chosen.  Upon  this,  I  was,  by  the 
unanimous  vote'  of  the  county,  not 
one  freeholder  dissenting,  chosen  one 
of  their  Representatives.  All  our  elec- 
tions being  on  the  same  day,  I  was 
without  my  knowdedge,  privily  or  pro- 
curement, chosen  also  for  the  County 
of  Xortham])ton.  I  was,  when  I  per- 
cei\ed  how  the  election  had  gone  in 
other  countys.  at  first  of  the  mind  not 
to  serve  for  either,  being  assured  that, 
with  men  of  such  bad  disposition  I 
coidd  not  be  able  to  bring  about  any- 
thing that  would  be  truly  useful  to  the 
colony.  However,  at  the  earnest  solic- 
itation of  many  good  men,  I  was,  at 
length,  prevailed  on  to  go  into  the 
house  and  made  my  election  for  the 
county  of  Cumberland :  upon  which 
the  people  of  Northampton  chose  Mr. 
Plumstead,  late  Mayor  of  this  city,  a 
gentleman  zealous  for  the  defense  of 
his  country,  (who  thereby  had  rend- 
ered himself  obnoxious  to  the  Quak- 
ers:) the  vote  for  Plumstead  being 
46;^.  and  his  antagonist,  one  Edmonds, 
a  Mora\-ian,  having  only  255,  and  two 
thirds  of  these  unnaturalized  Mora- 
\ians  and  other  Germans,  who  have 
no  right  to  vote  by  our  laws:  yet,  I 
say.  our  honest  .\ssembh^  refused  to 
admit  Mr.  Plumstead,  though  duly  re- 
turned bv  the  Sherifif,  under  pretense 
that  there  was  a  petition  to  them  on 
account  of  an  undue  election,  though 
this  petitic^n  was  signed  only  by  three 
Moravians,  and  have  hitherto  kept 
him  out  of  his  seat,  and.  T  presume, 
will  continue  to  do  so." 

The  next  member  of  the  Assembly 
from  Northampton  County  was  Lud- 
wig  Bitting,  who  was  elected  in  1758 
anfl  re-elected  in  1759  and  1760.  He 
was  a  resident  of  l^]iper  Milford  town- 
ship and   probably  owed   a   great  deal 


156 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


of  his  prominence  to  the  fact  that  he 
was  a  son-in-law  of  Rev.  John  PhiHp 
Boehm,  the  pioneer  Reformed  preach- 
er. In  1744  he  settled  on  Hosensack 
Hill,  in  the  present  Lower  Milford 
township,  Lehigh  county,  Pa. 

Following  him  came  John  Moore, 
in  1761  and  1762.  Then  came  John 
Tool,  of  Upper  Saucon,  in  1763.  As 
early  as  1737  he  settled  on  a  tract  of 
370  acres  at  the  foot  of  the  Lehigh 
Mountains,  at  the  place  now^  called 
Wittmans.  His  successor  was  George 
Taylor,  who  served  from  1764  to  1769. 
He  was  followed  by  William  Ed- 
monds for  the  second  time,  serving 
from  1770  to  1774.  Then  a  German 
came  to  the  front  in  the  person  of 
Peter  Kachlein  in  1775,  which  year 
closes  the  colonial   period. 

In  looking  over  the  names  of  the 
Justices  of  Northampton  county  under 
the  Proprietary  and  Colonial  Govern- 
ment from  1752  to  1775,  we  find  that 
one  third  were  of  German  blood.  That 
these  men  were  of  such  character  and 
ability  as  to  be  appointed  to  the  office 
of  Justice,  marks  them  as  leaders  in 
their  several  communities.  There  ap- 
pears to  have  been  no  law  regulating 
the  number  of  Justices  in  a  county, 
but  every  section  had  its  Justice,  who, 
at  the  time  when  court  was  held, 
journeyed  to  Easton,  where  no  less  a 
number  than  three  were  empowered 
to  hold  the.  several  courts.  The  courts 
of  Northampton  county  were  held  in 
the  different  taverns  at  Easton  until 
the  completion  of  the  court  house  in 
1766.  In  speaking  of  them  a  certain 
writer  says :  "Their  sessions  were  ex- 
tremely ceremonious  and  imposing'. 
At  the  present  day,  no  official,  how- 
ever exalted,  would  think  of  assuming 
such  awful  dignity  as  was  then  habit- 
ual with  the  justices  of  the  courts  of 
Northampton  count^^  On  their  pas- 
sage to  the  place  of  holding  court, 
preceded  and  followed  by  constables 
with  badges  and  staves  of  office — 
these  provincial  justices,  in  their  sev- 
ere gravity,  and  cocked  hats,  were 
fearful  and  wonderful  personages  to 
behold.     ?)Ut  when   they  mounted  the 


bench,  and  the  court  officers  com- 
manded silence,  then  was  the  hour  of 
their  triumph ;  for  the  loyal  courtiers 
of  King  George,  as  he  sat  upon  his 
own  throne  at  Windsor  Castle,  scarce- 
ly regarded  their  sovereign  with  more 
awe  and  adoration,  than  the  towns- 
people, and  the  litigants  gave  to  those 
worshipful  wearers  of  the  county  er- 
mine, as  they  sat  in  solemn  session, 
in   the  tavern   court-room  at   Easton.'' 

Be  that  as  it  may,  let  us  turn  our  at- 
tention to  those  Justices  who  were  of 
German  blood,  more  particularly 
those  who  resided  in  the  townships 
which  now  constitute  our  present  Le- 
high county.  In  1752  appear  the 
names  of  Lewis  Klotz  and  Conrad 
Hess.  Klotz  was  a  resident  of  Mac- 
ungie  township,  whom  we  have  men- 
tioned in  a  previous  paper.  He  was^ 
also  a  county  commissioner  in  1754.  In 
1753  appears  the  name  of  Peter  Trex- 
ler.  He  was  one  of  the  first  countj" 
commissioners  in  1752,  as  we  have 
mentioned.  In  1753,  he  was  appoint- 
ed by  the  Council  one  of  the  commis- 
sioners to  lay  out  a  road  from  Easton 
to  Reading.  He  was  also  one  of  the 
six  trustees  of  the  school  erected  in 
Easton  in  1755  by  subscriptions  from 
the  locality  and  from  a  society  formed 
in  England  whose  purpose  was  to  pro- 
mote the  instruction  of  poor  Germans 
in  Pennsylvania,  to  which  even  the 
King.  George  the  Second,  had  given 
£  1000.  Trexler  was  a  man  of  great  in- 
fluence among  the  Germans  of  the 
county,  and  later,  in  the  French  and 
Indian  ^^'ar,  commanded  a  company 
that  was  called  into  service  by  Benja- 
min  Franklin. 

George  Rex.  of  Heidelberg  town- 
ship, was  appointed  one  of  the  Jus- 
tices of  Northampton  county  in  1757. 
He  was  the  largest  individual  land 
owner  in  Heidelberg  township,  owing' 
415  acres  in  1764.  He  died  in  1773. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  prominent 
men  of  the  northern  end  of  the  county 
in  C<iIoniaI  times,  and  that  he  had 
considerable  influence  is  proven  by 
the  fact  that  with  Peter .  Trexler,  he 
recommended  that  a  fort  be    built    on 


PENNSYLVANIA-GERMANS    IN    THE   COLONIAL  PERIOD 


157 


the  other  side  of  Drucker's  mill,  on 
the  Blue  Mountains,  stating  that  there 
was  a  good  spring  there,  and  an  emi- 
nence which  commanded  on  all  its 
sides  a  large  extent  of  land. 

In  1761  a  jpear  the  names  of  Jacob 
Arndt  and  Henry  Geiger.  Arndt  liv- 
ed near  Easton,  but  Geiger  was  a  resi- 
dent of  Heidelberg  township,  fie  was 
commissioned  an  Ensign  in  the  Sec- 
ond Penna.  Regiment,  First  Battalion, 
commanded  b}'  Lieut.  Colonel  Con- 
rad Weiser,  on  December  20,  1755, 
and  is  recorded  as  a  good  officer.  On 
the  20th  of  November,  1756,  he  was 
stationed  at  Teets,  with  eight  men,  as 
the  records  show.  Teed's  blockhouse 
was  near  Wind  Gap  and  was  an  im- 
liortant  point.  Some  superior  officer 
wrote  the  query  concerning  this  post. 
"If  the  detachment  at  Teet's  -.an  de- 
fend itself."  No  doubt  it  coidd,  un- 
der this  gallant  officer.  Geiger  was 
commissioned  Lieutenant  on  Decem- 
ber 21,  1757,  in  Capt.  Edward  Ward's 
company,  stationed  west  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna river.  On  February  5, 
1758.  he  was  in  command  of  twelve 
men  at  a  block  house  situated  be- 
tween Forts  Allen  and  Everett, 
twenty  miles  from  Fort  Allen  and  ten 


miles  from  Fort  Everett,  and  was  fur- 
nished by  his  commissary,  Jacob 
Levan,  Esq.,  with  four  months'  pro- 
visions. Geiger  was  probably  for 
many  years  one  of  the  most  important 
figures  in  the  u])per  end  of  the  county, 
and  subsec|uently  became  a  colonel  in 
the.  Revolutionary  War. 

In  1764,  Christopher  Waggoner,  of 
Lower  Saucon,  became  a  Justice.  In 
1766,  appears  the  name  of  Henry 
Kooken,  or  Koch  en.  He  was  a  resi- 
dent of  Upper  Saucon,  where  he  was 
taxed  in  1768  for  fifty  acres  of  land. 
He  built  a  grist  and  saw  mill  on  the 
site  of  Dillinger's  mill.  The  name 
would  indicate  that  he  was  of  Holland 
Dutch  origin. 

Other  German  names  which  appear 
in  1774  in  the  list  of  Justices  are  Peter 
Kachlein,  Jacob  and  Isaac  Lerch,  John 
Wetzel  and  Felix  Lynn.  Stil!  other 
names  of  Germans  wdio  attained  to  of- 
fice might  increase  the  number  oi 
those  whom  we  are  trymg  to  save 
from  oblivion,  among  them  Christiai 
Rinker,  county  commissioner  in  1753. 
John  Rinker,  sheriff  in  1756  and  1758. 
and  Jacob  Rex.  county  commissioner 
in    1758. 


An  Account  of  the  Manners  of  the  German  Inhabitants 
of  Pennsylvania  in  1  789 

FROM  THE  COLUMBIAN  MAGAZINE,  VOL.  Ill,  PP.  22,  ETC..  I  789 
WITH  NOTES,  BY  I.  D.  RUPP 


HE  STATE  of  I'ennsyl- 
vania  is  so  much  indebt- 
ed for  her  prGS])erity 
and  reputation,  to  the 
German  part  of  her  citi- 
zens, that  a  short  ac- 
count of  their  manners 
may.  perhaps,  be  useful 
and  agreeable  to  their  fellow  citizens 
in  every  part  of  the  United  States. 

The  aged   Germans,  and  the  ances- 
tr)rs  of  those  who  are  young,  migrat- 


ed chiefly  from  the  Palatinate:  from 
Alsace.  Swabia,  Saxony  and  Switzer 
land  ;  but  natives  of  every  principali- 
ty and  dukedom  in  Germany,  are  to 
be  found  in  different  parts  of  the 
State.  They  brought  but  little  proi- 
erty  with  them.  A  few  pieces  of  gold 
or  silver  coins,  a  chest  filled  witli 
clothes,  a  bible,  and  a  prayer-book, 
constituted  the  whole  stock  of  most 
of  them.  Many  of  them  bourn!  them 
selves,    or    one  or  more  of  their  child- 


158 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


len,  to  masters,  after  their  arrival,  for 
lour,  five  or  seven  years,  in  order  to 
pay  their  passages  across  the  ocean. 
A  clergyman  always  accompanied 
them  when  they  came  in  large  bodies. 
The  principal  part  of  them  were 
farmers;  but  there  were  many  me- 
chanics, who  brought  with  them  a 
knowledge  of  those  arts,  which  are 
necessary  and  useful  in  all  countries. 
These  mechanics  were  chiefly  weav- 
ers, tailors,  shoe-makers,  comb-mak- 
ers, smiths  of  all  kinds,  butchers, 
bakers,  paper  makers,  watch  makers 
and   sugar-bakers. 

I  shall  begin  this  account  of  the 
(Germans  of  Pennsylvania,  by  describ- 
ing the  manners  of  the  Germau  farm- 
ers. This  body  of  citizens  are  not 
only  industrious,  but  skillful  cultiva- 
tors of  the  earth.  I  shall  enumerate  a 
i^ew  particulars,  in  which  they  dififer 
from  most  of  the  other  farmers  of 
Pennsylvania. 

F'irst — In  settling  a  tract  r.f  land, 
they  always  provide  large  ar.d  suit- 
able accommodations  for  their  horses 
and  cattle,  before  they  lay  out  mone}^ 
in  building  a  house  for  themselves. 
The  barn  •  and  stables  are  generally 
under  one  roof,  and  contrived  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  enable  them  to  feed 
their  horses  and  cattle,  and  to  lemove 
their  dung,  with  as  little  trouble  as 
|)ossi])le.  The  first  dAvelling  house 
upon  his  farm  is  small  and  built  of 
logs.  It  generally  lasts  the  life  time  of 
the  first  settler  of  a  tract  of  land;  and 
hence  they  have  a  saying,  that:  "a 
son  shall  always  begin  his  improve- 
ments, where  his  father  has  left 
off" —  that  is,  by  building  a  larger 
and   convenient  stone  house. 

Second — They  prefer  good  land,  or 
that  land  on  which  there  is  a  large 
quantity  of  meadow  ground.  From 
an  attention  to  the  cultivation  of 
grass,  they  often  double  the  \  alue  of 
an  old  farm  in  a  few  years,  and  grow 
rich  on  farms,  on  which  their  prede- 
cessors of  whom  they  purchased  have 
nearly  starved.  They  prefer  purchas- 
ing farms  with  some  improvements. 
to  settling  on  a  new  tract  of  land. 


Third — In  clearing  new  land,  they 
do  not  girdle  the  trees  simp'y,  and 
leave  them  to  perish  in  the  ground, 
as  is  the  custom  of  their  Engl.sh  and 
Irish  neighbors ;  but  they  generally 
cut  them  down  and  burn  them.  In 
destroying  the  underwood  and  bush- 
es, they  generally  grub  them  out  of 
the  ground ;  by  which  means  a  field  is 
as  fit  for  cultivation  the  second  year 
after  it  is  cleared,  as  it  is  twenty  years 
afterwards.  The  advantages  of  this 
mode  of  clearing,  consist  in  the  imme- 
diate product  of  the  field,  and  in  the 
greater  facility  with  which  it  is 
ploughed,  harrowed  and  reaped.  The 
expense  of  repairing  a  plough  which 
is  often  broken  two  or  three  times  in 
a  year  by  small  stumps  concealed  in 
the  ground,  is  often  greater  than  the 
extraordinary  expense  of  grubbing  the 
same  field  completely,  in  clearing  it. 

Fourth — They  feed  their  horses  and 
cows,  of  which  they  keep  only  a  small 
number,  in  such  a  manner,  hat  the 
former  perform  twice  the  labor  ol 
those  horses,  and  the  latter  yield 
twice  the  quantity  of  milk  ot  those 
cows,  that  are  less  plentifidly  fed. 
There  is  economy  in  this  [)ractise, 
especially  in  a  country  where  so  much 
labor  of  a  farmer  is  necessary  to  sup- 
port his  domestic  animals.  A  German 
horse  is  known  in  every  part  of  the 
State ;  indeed  he  seems  "to  feel  with 
his  lord,  the  ])leasure  and  the  pride"* 
of  his  extarordinary  size  and  fat. 

Fifth — The  fences  of  a  German 
farmer  are  generally  high,  and  well 
biiilt,  so  that  his  fields  seldom  suffer 
from  the  inroads  of  his  own  or  his 
neighbor's  horses,  cattle,  hogs  and 
sheep. 

Sixth — The  German  farmers  are 
great  economists  of  their  wood.  Hence 
'  they  burn  it  only  in  stoves,  in  which 
they  consume  but  a  fourth  or  fifth 
part  of  what  is  commonly  burnt  in 
ordinary  open  fire  places :  besides, 
their  horses  are  saved  by  means  r>f 
this, economy,  from  that  immense  la- 
bor, in  hauling  wood  in  the  middle  of 
winter,  which  frequently  unfits  the 
horses  of  their  neighbors   for  the   toil 


CHARACTERIZATION    OF    THE    GER.UANS   OP"   PENNSYLVANIA    IN    1789 


159 


nf  the  ensuing'  spring.  Their  houses 
arc  moreover,  rendered  so  comfort- 
able, at  all  times,  by  large  close  stoves 
that  twice  the  business  is  done  by 
every  branch  of  the  family,  in  knit 
ting,  spinning,  and  mendmg  farming 
utensils,  than  is  done  in  houses  where 
every  member  of  the  famil}^  crowds 
near  to  a  common  fire  place,  i-r  shi\ 
ers  at  a  distance  from  it,  with  hands 
and  fingers  that  move,  hy  reason  of 
the  cold,  with  only  half  iheii  usual 
(juickness. 

They  discox  er  economy  in  the  pre 
servation  and  increase  of  their  wood 
in  several  ways.  They  sometimes  de- 
fend it.  by  high  fences,  from  their 
cattle;  by  which  means  the  ycnmg 
forest  trees  are  suffered  to  grow,  to 
replace  those  that  are  cut  down  for 
the  necessary  use  of  the  farm.  But 
where  this  cannot  be  conveniently 
(lone,  they  surround  the  stump  of  that 
which  is  most  useful  for  fences,  viz: 
.the  chestnut,  with  a  small  triangular 
fence.  From  this  stump  a  number  of 
suckers  shoot  out  in  a  few  years,  two 
or  three  of  which,  in  the  course  of  five 
and  twenty  years,  grow  into  trees  of 
the  same  size  as  the  tree  from  whose 
stump    they    derived    their    origin. 

Seventh — 'lliey  keep  their  horses 
and  cattle  as  warm  as  possible  in  win- 
ter, by  which  means  they  sa\e  a  great 
deal  of  their  hay  and  grain  ;  for  those 
animals  require  much  more  than  when 
they  are  in  a  more  comfortabk  situa- 
tion. 

Eighth — The  German  farmers  li\e 
frugal  in  their  families,  with  respect 
to  diet,  furniture  and  ap])arel.  They 
sell  their  most  profitable  grain,  which 
is  wheat,  and  eat  that  which  is  less 
profitable,  but  more  nourishing,  that 
is  rve.  or  Indian  corn.  The  profit  to  a 
farmer,  from  this  single  ari'cle  of 
economy,  is  equal,  in  the  course  of 
a  life  time,  to  the  price  of  a  farm  for 
one  of  his  children.  They  eat  sparingly 
of  boiled  animal  food,  with  large  quan- 
tities of  vegetables,  particularly  with 
salad,  turnips,  onions,  and  cabbage, 
the  last  of  which  they  make  into 
sonr-crout    (leaner  Kraut).    Th<y  like- 


wise use  a  large  quantity  of  milk  and 
cheese  in  their  diet.  Perh^t.ps  the 
(jcrmans  do  not  pro[)ortion  the  quan- 
tity of  their  animal  food  to  the  de- 
grees of  their  labor;  hence  it  has 
been  thought,  by  some  people,  that 
they  decline  in  strength  sooner  than 
their  English  or  Irish  Neghbors. 
\'ery  few  of  them  ever  use  distilled 
spirits  in  their  families;  their  com- 
mon drinks  are  cider,  beer,  wine  and 
simple  water.  The  furniture  of  their 
houses  is  plain  and  useful.  They  cover 
themselves  in  winter  with  light 
featherbeds,  instead  of  blankets,  and 
they  are  made  by  themselves.  The 
ap])arel  of  the  German  farmer  is  us 
ually  home-spun.  When  they  use 
European  articles  of  dress  they  ])re- 
fer  those  which  are  of  the  bes.  qual- 
ity and  of  the  highest  price.  They  arc 
afraid  of  debt,  and  seldom  purchase 
anything"  without  paying  the  cash  for 
it. 

Xintli — The  (icrinan  farmers  ha\c 
large  and  profitable  gardens  near 
their  houses.  These  contain  little 
else  but  \egetables.  Pennsylvania  i> 
indebted  to  the  Germans  for  the  prin- 
cij)al  part  of  her  knowledge  in  horti- 
culture. There  was  a  time  when  tur- 
nips and  cabbage  were  the  principal 
vegetables  that  were  used  in  diet  bv 
the  citizens  in  Philadelphia  Thi^ 
will  not  surprise  those  persons,  who 
know  that  the  English  settlers  in 
Pennsylvania  left  England  whde  hor- 
ticulture was  in  its  infancy  in  that 
country.  It  was  not  till  the  '■eign  of 
(leorge  III.  that  this  useful  and  agrecv 
able  art  was  cultivated  by  the  Eng- 
lish nation.  .Since  the  settlement  of 
a  number  of  German  Gardeners  in 
the  neighborhood  of  I'hiladelj'hia.  the 
tables  of  all  classes  of  citizen>^  ha\c 
been  covered  with  a  \ariety  of  vege- 
tables, in  every  season  of  the  year  ;  and 
to  the  use  of  these  vegetables  in  diet 
may  be  ascribed  the  general  exem))- 
ti«Mi  of  the  citizens  of  Philadeljihia 
from  diseases  of  the  skin. 

Tenth — The  Germans  scldoin  hire 
men  to  work  upon  their  farms.  The 
feebleness    of     that     authoritv.     which 


160 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


masters  possess  over  hired  servants, 
is  such  that  their  wages  are  very  sel- 
dom procured  from  their  labor  except 
in  harvest,  when  they  work  in  the 
presence  of  their  masters.  The  wives 
and  daughters  of  the  German  farmers 
frequent!}^  forsake,  for  a  while  their 
dairy  and  spinning  wheels,  and  join 
their  husbands  and  brothers  in  the 
labor  of  cutting  down,  collecting  and 
bringing  home  the  fruits  of  their 
fields  and  orchards.  The  work  of  the 
gardens  is  generally  done  l)y  the 
women  of  the  family. 

Eleventh  —  A  large  and  strong- 
wagon  covered  with  linen  cloth,  is  an 
essential  part  of  the  furniture  of  a 
German  farm.  In  this  wagon,  drawn 
by  four  or  five  horses  of  a  peculiar 
breed,  they  convey  to  market  over  the 
roughest  roads,  between  two  oj  three 
thousand  pounds  weight  of  the  prod- 
ucts of  their  farms.  In  the  months 
of  September  and  October,  it  is  no 
uncommon  thing  on  the  Lancaster 
and  Reading  roads,  to  meet  m  one 
day  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  of  these 
wagons,  on  the  way  to  Philadelphia, 
most  of  which  belong  to  German 
farmers. 

Twelfth — The  favorable  influence 
i)f  agriculture  as  conducted  by  the 
(jcrmans  in  extending  human  happi- 
n.ess  is  manifested  by  the  joy  they 
express  upon  the  birth  of  a  child.  No 
dread  of  poverty,  nor  distrust  of  Prov- 
iilence  from  an  increasing  family, 
depresses  the  spirits  of  these  indus- 
trious and  frugal  peo],>ie.  Upon  the 
l)irth  of  a  son,  they  exult  in  the  gift  of 
a  ploughman  or  a  wagoner;  ar.d  upon 
the  birth  of  a  daughter,  they  rejoice 
in  the  addition  of  another  spinster,  or 
milkmaid  to  their  famh^  Happy  state 
of  human  society!  What  blessings 
can  civilization  confer,  that  can  atone 
for  the  extinction  of  the  ancient  pa- 
triarchal pleasure  of  raising  up  a  num- 
erous and  healthy  family  of  children, 
to  labor  for  their  parents,  for  them- 
selves and  for  their  country;  and  fin- 
ally to  partake  oi  the  knowledge  and 
happiness  which  are  annexed  t  ^  exist- 
ence !      The    joy   of   parents    upon    the 


birth  of  a  child,  is  the  grateful  echo 
of  creating  goodness.  May  the  moun- 
tains of  Pennsylvania  be  forever 
vocal,  with  songs  of  joy  upon  those 
occasions !  They  will  be  infalliable 
signs  of  innocence,  industry,  wealth 
and  happiness  in  the  State. 

Thirteenth  —  The  Germans  take 
great  pains  to  practice  in  their  chil- 
dren, not  only  habits  of  labor,  but  a 
love  of  it.  In  this  they  submit  to  the 
irreversible  sentence  inflicted  upon 
man,  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  convert 
the  wrath  of  heaven  into  a  private 
and  public  happiness;  to  fear  God  and 
love  work,"  are  the  first  lessons  they 
teach  their  children.  They  prefer  in- 
dustrious habits  to  money  itself: 
hence,  when  a  young  man  a.sks  the 
consent  of  his  father  to  marry  the  girl 
of  his  choice,  he  does  not  inquire  so 
much  whetlier  she  is  rich,  or  poor  or 
whether  she  possesses  any  personal 
or  mental  accomplishments — as  wheth- 
er she  would  be  industrious,  and  ac- 
quainted with  the  duties  of  a  good 
housewife? 

Fourteenth — The  Germans  set  a 
great  value  upon  patrimonial  prop- 
erty. This  useful  principle  in  hu- 
man nature  prevents  much  folly  and 
vice  in  young  people.  It.  m<>reover. 
leads  to  lasting  and  extensive  advan- 
tages, in  the  improvement  of  a  farm, 
for  what  inducement  can  be  stronger 
in  a  parent  to  plant  an  orchard,  to 
preserve  forest  trees,  or  build  com- 
modious and  durable  houses,  than  the 
idea,  that  they  will  all  be  possessed 
by  a  succession  of  generations,  who 
shall  inherit  his  blood  and  name? 

Fifteenth  —  The  German  farmers 
are  very  much  influenced  in  planting 
and  pruning  trees,  also  in  sowing  and 
reaping,  by  the  age  and  the  appear- 
ance of  the  moon.  This  attention  to 
the  state  of  the  moon  has  been  ascrib- 
ed to  superstition,  but  if  the  facts 
related  by  Mr.  Wilson  in  his  observa- 
tion upon  climates  are  true,  part  of 
their  success  in  agriculture  must  be 
ascribed  to  their  being  so  much  in- 
fluenced by  it. 


CHARACTERIZATION    OF    THE    GERMANS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    IN    1789 


161 


Sixteenth — From  the  histoiy  that 
has  been  given  of  German  agriculture, 
it  will  be  hardly  necessary  to  add, 
that  a  German  farm  may  be  distin- 
guished from  the  farms  of  other  citi- 
zens of  the  State,  by  the  superior  size 
of  their  barns;  the  plain,  but  com- 
])act  form  of^their  hcuises ;  the  height 
»)f  their  inclosures,  the  extent  of  their 
orchards;  the  fertility  of  their,  fields; 
the  luxuriance  of  their  meadon-s,  and 
general  appearance  of  plenty  and 
neatness  in  e\erything  that  belongs  to 
them. 

The  German  mechanic  possesses 
some  of  the  traits  that  hav<:  been 
drawn  of  the  German  farmer.  His 
first  object  is  to  become  a  freeholder; 
and  hence  we  find  few  of  them  live  in 
rented  houses.  The  highest  conipli 
nient  that  can  be  paid  to  them  on  en- 
tering their  houses,  is  to  ask:  'Ts  this 
your  own  house?"  They  are  indus- 
trious., frugal,  punctual  and  just. 
Since  their  settlement  in  Pennsyl- 
vania many  of  them  have  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  those  mechanical  arts, 
which  are  more  immediately  neces- 
sary and  useful  in  a  new  c;  untry ; 
while  they  continue  at  the  same  time 
to  carry  (~in  the  arts  imported  from 
(icrmany.   with   vigor   and   success. 

But  the  genius  of  the  Germans  of 
Pennsvlvania   is   not   confined   to   agri- 


culture and  the  mechanical  arts. 
Many  of  them  have  acquired  great 
wealth  by  foreign  and  domestic  com- 
merce. As  merchants  they  are  can- 
did and  punctual.  The  bank  of  North 
.\merica  has  witnessed,  from  its  first 
institution,  their  fidelity  to  ail  their 
pecuniary  engagements. 

Thus  far  I  have  described  the  indi- 
\ idual  character  of  several  orders  of 
the  German  citizens  of  Pennsylvania. 
I  shall  now  take  notice  of  their  man- 
ners  in   a   collective   capacity. 

Dr.  Beii.iamin  Rush,  the  author  of  this 
sltetch  was  born  Dec,  1745,  in  Bristol, 
Bucks  County,  Pa.  He  was  educated  in 
Princeton  College  and  pursued  his  medical 
studies  in  Philadelphia,  London,  Edinburg 
and  Paris.  He  became  a  professor  ol 
chemistr.v,  a  member  of  the  Continental 
Congress,  an  advocate  and  signer  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  1776,  a  ph.v- 
sician  in  the  Continental  army,  a  member 
of  the  Penna.  Commission  which  framed 
the  National  Constitution,  a  very  success- 
ful physician,  a  professor  of  the  Theory 
and  Practice  of  Medicine,  an  author  of 
numerous  learned  essays,  Treasure;  of  the 
U.  S.  Mint,  filling  the  last  named  position 
to  the  time  of  his  death  April.  18K-].  The 
sketch  appeared  originally  1789  in  Vol.  Ill 
of   The  Columbian  Magazine. 

An  edition  with  copious  notes  wa--  issued 
by  Prof.  I.  D.  Rupp  in  1875.  a  trimslation 
of  which  appeared  in  the  Dentscbe  Pioneer 
the  same  year.  We  omit  all  notes  giving 
only  the  essay  as  it   appeared  originally. 

(to  be  continued) 


Cliurch  150  Tears  Old 

The  Reformed  Church  of  East  68th 
street.  New  York,  one  of  the  oldest 
churches  in  the  country,  which  made  part 
of  the  pre-revolutionary  history  of  New 
York  city,  the  church  of  which  the  first 
.John  .Jacob  Astor  was  a  prominent  mem- 
ber, celebrated  its  150th  anniversary  and 
formally  received  and  consecrated  the  big 
bell  presented  to  it  by  Emperor  William  of 
Germany.  Rev.  Dr.  John  S.  Allen,  presi- 
dent of  the  New  York  Classis  of  the  Re- 
formed Church   of  America   consecrated   it. 

4"      *      4" 

When  the  project  of  building  a  railroad 
from  Harrisburg  to  Reading  through  the 
Lebanon  valley  was  proposed  many  of  the 


farmers  of  the  valley  opposed  it  for  the 
reason  that  it  would  check  the  demand  for 
their  horses  and  the  grain  to  feed  them 
and  also  interfere  with  their  business  as 
wagoners.  They  also  objected  to  the  build- 
ing of  the  road  because  the  counties 
through  which  it  passed  would  be  called 
ui)on  to  furnish  financial  aid,  and  for  this 
reason  they  feared  that  their  taxes  would 
be  increased.  So  it  happened  that  the  Leb- 
anon Valley  Railroad,  the  building  of 
which  was  authorized  by  an  act  of  the 
Legislature  on  April  1,  1836,  was  actually 
not  undertaken  until  1853,  a  lapse  of  seven- 
teen years.  It  was  finished  in  1858.  on 
.January  18  of  which  year  the  whole  road 
was  opened. 

From     Swank's     Progressive      Pennsyl- 
vania. 


162 


Jacob's  Church,  Jacksonville,  Lehigh  Co.,  Pa. 

By  the  Rev.  A.  C.  Wuchter,  Gilbert,  Pa. 


where 


HE  permanent  setrleme,nl 
of  the  present  township 
of  Lynn  dates  from  the 
year  1735,  possibly  some- 
what earlier.  Among  the 
early  settlers  the  Luth- 
erans seem  to  have  lo- 
cated in  Kistler's  Valley 
they      organized      Jerusalem 


the  Reformed  people  or^^anized 
Jacob's  Church.  Daniel  Hamin  gave 
two  acres  of  ground  and  a  log  church 
as  well  as  a  schoolhouse«were  erected 
during  the  year.  Meanwhile  Luth- 
eran families  located  in  the  neighbor- 
hood and  were  permitted  to  hold  ser- 
vices  in   the   church. 


Church.     1748;     while     the     Rtformed  In    1807   it   was   found   neces-arv   to 

moved     farther     north    to    the    foot    of  erect     a     new     church    l)uildiiig.     An 

ilic    lilue    Mountains.        This      section  agreement    was    effected    betAveen    tlie 

was     known     in    those    early    days    as  two   denc^minations   Nov.   7,    1807.  and 

■■Allemaengcl."     During  the  year  1761  the    new    church   was  consecrated  the 


JACOB'S    CHURCH,    JACKSONVILLE,    P..\. 


163 


following"  year.  In  order  that  both 
ct)ngreg'ations  might  have  ecjual 
rights  Mr.  Hamm  sold  the  congrega- 
tion two  additional  acres  of  ground 
at  a  nominal  price.  The  dimensions 
of  the  building  were  42x36  feet  and  28 
feet  high.  The  money  contributed 
amounted  to  $1407.923/^. 

'JMk-   respective   pastors  at  this  time 
were:    llenry    Gaissenhainer,    Luther- 
an ;  and  Henry  Diffenbach,  Reformed. 
The     building    committee    consisted 
as  follows : 

Lutheran,  Jacob  Koemig,  Henry 
Fusselman ;  Reformed,  Bernhard 
I'^ollweiler,  Jacob   Oswald. 

Elders:  Cas]:)er  Wannemacher  and 
John  Meyer.  Reformed;  Jacob  Feth- 
erolf   and    Michael    Stein,    Lutb.eran. 

Deacons:  Conrad  Stunii),  John  Ev- 
eritt  and  Martin  Bar. 
Treasurer:  John  Smeid. 
In  1822  the  second  schoolhouse,  a 
two-room  log  building  was  erected 
in  which  instruction  was  gi  v'en  in 
English  and  German.  When  the  pub- 
lic school  system  was  adopted  the 
township  paid  a  stij^ulated  rental  for 
the  use  of  the  building.  It  stood 
about  20  i)aces  south  of  the  present 
two-story  brick  schoolhouse  erected 
in  1858.  This  building  was  also  used 
for  ])ublic  school  purposes  until  re- 
cent date.  (The  writer  of  this  taught 
here  in    1877  and    1878.) 

The  present  church  was  erected  in 
1862- 1863.  The  corner-stone  \vas  laid 
April  27.  1862.  The  pastor's  loci  J. 
Zulich.  Ref.,  and  O.  Leopold  Luth., 
were  assisted  by  Rev.  Derr  and 
Dubbs.  The  dedication  took  ])lace 
May  24,  1863.  ^'i^;  pastors  loci,  J. 
Zulich  and  J.  J.  Kline,  were  assisted 
by  Revs.  Leo])ol(l  and  Dubbs.  The 
contributions  in  money  amounted  to 
S5522.92.  I'he  building  is  of  brick 
with  galleries  and  a  large  pipe  organ. 
Building  committee:  Levi  Ki.stler, 
Joshua  Smith,  Luth.:  Jt)hn  iMillweil- 
er  and  Charles  Everitt,  Ref. 

Elders:  David  Fetherolf  and  llenry 
Braucher,  Luth;  Jacob  Klii.gaman 
and  David   b^)llvveiler.  Ref. 


Deacons:    Uenjamin    Glase,    Jas.    K. 
Mosser     and     Thomas     Long     Luth.; 
Samuel    Sechler,   John     Sechler,    John 
h'ollweiler   and   Charles   Everitr,    Ref. 
Treasurer:   Wm.   Mosser. 
The  pastors  serving    the    two    con- 
gregations   since     their     organizations 
are   as  follows : 
Reformed  : 

Philip  Jacob   Michael,    1761   1770, 
Jacob    Weymer,    1770-1771, 
Conrad    Steiner,    1771-1776, 

Herzel,  -  . 

Roth,     (was     buried    under 


altar  of   first  church.) 

Miller,    1795-1807, 

llenry    Dietifeidjach,    1807-1816, 

John    Zulich,    1816- 1875, 

James    N.    Bachman,    1877- 1905. 

Jesse   M.   Mengel,    1905 — . 
Lutheran  : 

Henry    Gaissenhainer.    1807-1811, 

John   Knoske,   181 1-1819, 

('}.    F.    E.  Yeager,    1819-1850, 

John    Roeller, '1850-1858. 

Owen    Leopold.    1858-1861. 

S.   S.   Kline,    1861-1864, 

E.    Kramlich,    1864- 1869, 

H.  S.   Fegley.  1869-1906, 

A.  O.   Ebert,   1906 — . 

The  congregations  ha\e  gi\eu  these 
sons  to  the  ministry: 
Reformed  : 

Willoughby  Donat.  Schulykill  Hav- 
en,  Pa. 

\\'ilson    Donat.    Aaronsburg,    Pa. 

C.   A.  Creitz.   Reading.   Pa. 

I.    M.    P.achman,   Xewville,   Fa. 

( ieo.    ( ■ireenawald.    Boyertown,    Pa. 

( ieo.    Lutz.    Pennsburg.    Pa. 
I  .iitlierau  : 

A.  C.   W  uelner,  Gilbert.  Pa. 

I.    A.    Waidelich,   Sellersville.    Pa. 

1'.  A.    P.ehler.  Perkaise.   Pa. 

The  Rev.  A.  C.  Wuchter  composed  and 
read  the  following  Poem,  and  Hymu  which 
was  sung  at  the  centennial  anniversary  of 
the  dedication  of  the  aforenamed  Jacob's 
2nd  Church  building. 

Thou  Arbiter  of  nations!    here  we  8tand 
With    heads    bowed    down    where    frst    the 

fathers    stood 
And   worshiped  Thee  amid   the  solitude 
Of    forests    reaching     far.        Fioni     distant 

shore 


164 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


They  came,  self-exiled  here  to  find  the  door 
Wide  open  flung  to  freedom,  justice,  right; 
Where  hearth   and   home   might  prosper  in 
thy   light  — 

America,  the  new-found  wonderland. 

Where  flows  the    stately    Rhine,    the    Teu- 
ton's  pride, 

Their    homes    lay    waste    thro    war's    inces- 
sant strife. 

Where  tyrant  lordlings  fain  would  sap  their 
life 

For   selfish  ends,  to  rot  in  luxury, 

Unmindful  of  their  vassals'  poverty. 

But  God  is  just.  He  heard  their   suppliant 
cry, 

A  radiant  star  shone  in  the  western  sky 
To   point   the   way    to    fortune's    waiting 
tide. 

A  rugged  race,  inured  to  want  and  toil 
They  braved  the  dangers  of  the  forest  wild 
For    God   and   faith,   for    wife    and    tender 

child. 
Unconscious  as   they   hewed   the   giant  oak. 
They    built    a    nation    with    each    sounding 

stroke. 
These    laughing    hills,  these    radiant    mead- 
ows   tell. — 
Where    harvests    rich  the  children's  garner 

swell. 
How  well  they  chose — fair  mark  for  Kingly 
spoil. 

Thro  days  of  darkness,  for  they  needs  must 

come. 
They    wavered    not    tho    every    bush    might 

hold 
A  lurking  foe  thro  Gallic  bribe  made  bold; 
Or  when  thro  days  of  penury  and  want 
The    thought   of   "Allemaengel"    sore   would 

haunt 
Their  trust    in    God,    they    did    not    falter, 

doubt. 
But    struggled    on    with    brawny   arms     and 

stout 
To  hew  and  till,  to  build  for  God  and  home. 

Or  when  those  days  of  stern  assertion  came 
To    stand     for     right     and     manhood    be    it 

death. 
They  faltered  not  but  drew  a  deeper  breath 
To  swear  allegiance  to  the  new-born  cause 
Of  human  liberty.     Nor  did  they  pause 
Or    shrink    in   midnight's    darkest    hour    of 

hope. 
When    all    seemed    lost,    with    adverse    fate 

to  cope 
Till  hist'ry's  page  enfolds  no  fairer  name. 

Fair   name!    maligned   by   those   of  meaner 

brood 
Within   whose    veins   no   martyr   blood   may 

flow. 
Who   know    not     or     perchance    disdain     to 

know 
Of      Mecklenburg,      Long      Island,      Valley 

Forge — 


Where    loyal    "Dutchmen"'    felt   war's   Cruel 

scourge; 
Of   Saratoga,  Cowpens,   Brandywine 
Of  Trenton's   feat  where   our  despised   line 
The  brunt  of  battle  felt,  the  foe  wichstood. 

Or    did    not    he     whose    name     emblazoned 

stands 
On   Freedom's   banner,   Washington   confess 
If  all  were  lost  he'd  seek  the  wilderness 
With  his  beloved  riflemen  and  fighL 
Till    freedom's    sun    had    sunk    in     deepest 

night? 
Or    General    Morgan    this    encomium    raise: 
"He  .starves  so  well" — the  soldier's  highest 

praise? 
Avaunt!    ye    'Dutchman '-haters,    wash    your 

hands. 

Or  when  as  yet  in  doubtful  balance  hung 
That  Magna  Charta,worth  a  nation's  blood. 
That    changed     the     world     like     Shinar's 

mighty    flood 
And   gave  man  back  his  birthright,  shackle- 
free. 
And  nations  call  us  blest — here  too  we  see 
These    stalwart    fathers     play     their     noble 

part, 
Tho  little  known  upon  the  common  mart, 
Or  else  perchance  in  scurril   story  sung. 

Tho  time  and  distance  mellow  thiigs  long 
past 

They    had    their    faults,     for    those     were 
strenuous   days. 

Their    manners    brusque    and    oft    uncouth 
their  ways. 

But     honor     dwelt     within     those    rugged 
hearts 

And  word  of  mouth  and  grasp  of  hand  im- 
parts 

A  holy  seal  to  pledge  and  promise  made 

That  far  outweighed  our  modern  1  ricks   of 
trade 

Where  he   pays  first  who  signs   the   parch- 
ment last. 

Thank  God!  those  doughty  pioneers  of  old 
Whose    ashes    lie    within    yon    mosstouched 

wall, 
Unmarkt,   unknown   with   living  voices   call 
Their  children's  children  on  this  festal  day 
To  render  thanks  with  hearts  that  sing  and 

pray 
To   Him   whose   guardian   hand   had    safely 

led 
Their  footsteps  hither,  and,  tho  long  since 

dead. 
Their  work  of  faith  in  sacred  mem'ry  hold. 

They  came  not  to  these  hills  and  dales  of 

Lynn 
Like  social  outcasts  without  God  or  Creed. 
Unconscious  of  the  soul's  deep  vital  need;. 
Their  "Stark's   Gebetbuch"   and   their   Bible 

dear 
Their  monitors  in  time  of  doubt  and  fear: 
Not  theirs  the   privilege   now   oft   despised. 


JACOB'S     CHURCH.    JACKSONVILLE,    PA. 


165 


Of  frequent  sermon  or  what  Love  devised 
For   thirsting   souls    who   mourn    the   blight 
of   sin. 

We    stand    on    holy    ground    for    here    they 

chose 
To  build  Thy  Temple,  Lord,  for  pray'r  and 

praise, 
Where    faithful    pastors    might   their    hands 

upraise 
In  solemn   warning  lest  their  hearts  forget 
The  living  God  and  heart  and  mind  be  set 
On    earthly    things   alone.      They   know    full 

Wfll 

That  Esau-like  man  cannot  barter,  sell. 
His   soul's   chief  good   and   still    in   God   re- 
pose. 

They  sowed  and  planted,  we  but  scand  and 

reap. 
The    blessings    of    "    hundred    years    passed 

by; 
The    landscape    smiles     and     hills     to    hills 

reply 
And     call     each     other     blessed,     rich     with 

spoil 
Thai  marks  the  lab'rer's  task,  the  farmer's 

toil; 
Rut    fairer     far    God's    house    of    worship 

stands 
In  tow'ring  majesty  and   so  commands 
That  we  this  festal  day  together  keep. 

Ye  sons  and  daughters  of  a  worthy  line 
Hold     fast    your     birthright     bought     with 

blood   and   tears ; 
Hide  not  your  glory  as  so  oft  appears 
In    those    who   blush    to   own    their    lineage 

true — 
A  bastard  line,  the  devil's  parvenu! 
Stand    by    your    guns,    defend    them    to    the 

last. 

True    manhood    lived    but    lives    not   in    the 

past, 
Lead  noble  lives  and  let  your  virtues  shine. 


So  let  us  then,  in  holy  service  met, 
To-day   anew    reconsecrate   this   hoiise 
Unto  the  living  God,  and  so  arouse 
Our  deadened  sense  of  worship  and  of  life 
To  nobler   pitch  with  deeds  of  m^rcy   rife; 
And   so,  yea  only  so,  this  house  shall  be 
A  stepping-stone,  O  Lord,  Thy  face  to  see 
When  day  is  done  and  life's  brief  sun  is  set. 

The  anniversary  hymn  was  sung  with 
great  earnestness  at  the  celebration.  Jt 
follows: 

O  Thou  from  out  whose  gracious  hand 
The   cent'ries  fall   like  grains  of  sand,' 
.Accept  the  grateful  songs  of  praise, 
Our  hearts   indite,  our  voices   raise. 

Thou   who  hast  planted  hill  and  dale. 
The  murm'ring  rill  that  haunts  the  vale, 
This  goodly  land  to  us  hast  giv'n 
A  pledge  of  love,  a  gift  from  heaven. 

Here   where  the  primal  forest  stood. 
Midst  vine-clad  hills  and  tangled  wood 
The  fathers  guided  by  Thy  hand 
Their  altars  reared  in  Beulahland. 

By   tyrant  masters   sore  opprest. 

By  foes  on  every  hand  distrest, 

A   peaceful    refuge   here   they    found — 

Their  dust  has  made  it  hallowed  ground. 

O  hear  us,  heavenly  Father,  hear. 
The  sons  and  daughters  now  draw  near. 
Our  hearts  and  lives  we  pledge  anew^ 
To  serve  Thee  as  the  years  ensue. 

We  thank  Thee  for  this  festal  day 
That  marks  a  cent'ry  passed  away. 
And  pray  Thee  for  the  years  in  stjre: 
Thy  grace  sustain  us  ever  more. 

Thy  holy  Spirit  grant  we  pray 
That  we  may  walk  in   wisdom's   way. 
And   let  our  hearts  Thy  temple  be 
lentil.  O  Lord,  Thy  face  we  see. 


Rev'd  Peter  Frederick  Niemeyer 

By  Rev.  Eli  Keller,  Alleqtown,  Pa. I 


IT  IS  man  was  an  early 
minister  of  the  Lutheran 
church  in  this  country. 
The  writer  of  these 
data,  being  a  distant  de- 
scendant, found  access 
to  certain  most  reliable 
documents,  concerning- 
his  life  and  labors  desired  to  give  the 
following:  He  was  a  native  of  Swe- 
den, born   Aug.  the  24th.  A.  D.   1733. 


in  the  city  of  Wismar.  He  was  the  son 
of  Lieut.  Charles  Conrad  Niemeyer 
and  wife.  He  was  l)aptized,  February 
the  Tith.  1734.  in  St.  ]\Iary*s  church, 
by  the  most  Honorable  Revs.  Staal- 
kop,  Sr.  The  Sponsors  were:  Fred- 
erick Gepe,  Peter  Pottmeyer,  Fred- 
erick Krotcl.  widow  of  Mr.  Game- 
liner,  and  daughter  of  decease<l 
."^chultze.  "This  Rec»)rd  was  made, 
(V't.   7th.    1752.  in   said   church,   by  its 


1G6 


REVEREIND   PETER   NIEMEYEIR 


Sec.  Andrew  L.  Winkler,  and  proper- 
ly attested,  by  his  Seal. 

In  1753,  he  emigrated  to  America, 
and  landed  at  Philadelphia.  Sept.  the 
nth,  from  the  ship  "Queen  of  Den- 
mark." 

In  the  year  1759,  April  3rd  he  mar- 
ried, after  three  public  proclamations. 
Miss  Maria  Horn,  daughter  of  George 
Horn  and  Maria  Kunignuda,  his 
wife.  His  bride  was  born  at  Brund- 
Hilda,  Dec,  24th,  1743.  The  cere- 
mony was  performed  bv  the  Swedish 
Embassador,  Erick  Nordanlind,  in 
Philadelphia. 

In  Rev'd  Niemeyer's  Family  Bible, 
published  in  Germany  (Nornbtrg)  in 
1755,  in  the  care  of  one  of  his  descen- 
dants, at  Martin's  Creek,  above  Eas- 
ton,  on  the  Delaware ;  and  well  pre- 
served, are  the  following  Records 
concerning  his  children  : 

i<  Maria.  Born  1761,  May  the 
tith  in  Lower  Marion  Tovvnship, 
Philadelphia  County.  The  sponsors 
were  the  grandparents :  Geo  Horn 
and  wife.  The  same  died,  Dec.  6th. 
1773,  aged    12  yrs.  and  6  months. 

2.  Hannah.  Born  1763,  May  25th, 
at  the  same  place.  The  sponsors  also, 
at  her  baptism,  were  the  same. 

3.  Elizabeth  Margaret.  Born  1765, 
Dec.  the  i6th,  at  New  Goshenboppen. 
Upper  Hanover,  Montgomery  Co. 
Her  sponsors  were:  John  Adain  Lan- 
denschliiger    and    wife    Alargaiet. 

4.  Susannah,  Born  1770,  Nov,  the 
22nd,  at  the  same  place.  Her  spon- 
sors were:  Geo.  Horn,  Jr.,  and  wife. 

5.  Anna  Maria,  Born  1775,  May 
the  13th,  in  Northampton  Co.,  Pa. 
She  was  ba]:)tized  June  4th  following. 

From  these  Records  we  may  infer, 
where  and  under  what  circumstances, 
father  N.  was  born  and  raised,  also, 
that  he  studied  for  the  ministrv,  in  the 
old  countrv  :  and  finallv  also,  in  what 


fields   he   labored,  as   a   minister. 

His  2nd  daughter  (Hannah)  mar- 
ried Ludwig  Spanamer — his  5th 
daughter  (Anna  Maria)  married  Mi- 
chael Schall,  of  More  Township.  His 
4th  daughter  (Susannah)  married 
Casper  Engler,  born  Dec.  28th,  1772. 
Engler  died  May  24th,  1801.  Aged  28 
yrs„  4  mos.,  and  26  days,  lie  lived 
and  died  in  More  Township,  North- 
ampton County,  Pa.  Englers  had  four 
children.  Himself  and  his  oldest 
child  (Frederick)  are  buried  at  the 
Big  More  township  Union  church. 
His  widow  married  Grandfather  Phil- 
ip Keller,  of  Plainfield  Township. 
Northampton  Co.,  Pa.  Her  three 
children  and  also  her  parents,  accom- 
])anied  her.  in  this  removal.  Her  par- 
ents died  there,  and  are  buried  at  the 
Plainfield  church.  Herself,  her  hus- 
band, and  the  remaining  children  re- 
moved in  1827  to  Martin's  Creek 
'where  all  of  them  also,  in  their  own 
time  died,  and  are  buried  at  "The 
Three  Churches,"  on   the   Delaware. 

(See  "The  Keller  History,"  page  69,  &c.1 

Great-grandfather,  Rev'd  Peter  Fred- 
erick Niemeyer,  died  Aug.  the  i6th. 
181 5.  Aged  82  yrs.  His  wife  died 
Aug.  the  4th,   1816.     Aged  73  yrs. 

My  Grandfather  Keller,  gave  ni}- 
Great  Grandfather  Niemeyer  and 
Great  Grandmother,  a  house  and 
home  at  Plainfield  as  long  as  they  liv- 
ed. For  some  years  Rev.  Niemeyer 
also  taught  school  in  that  house,  for 
the  benefit  of  the  community  along 
the  foot  of  the  Blue  Mountt.ins  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  thus  spent  his  last 
years  profitably. 

N.  B. — Niemeyer  is  a  Germaa  name, 
though  the  subject  of  this  brief  biog- 
ra]ihy  was  born  in  Sweden.  His  father 
was  of  German  ancestry  and  his 
mother,  of  Swedish. 


167 


Incidents  from  the  Life  of  Bishop  John  Seybert 

From  Rev.  Dr.  Stapleton's  "Flashlights  on  Evangelical  History" 


1  SI  I  OP  John  Seybert  was 
born  in  Lancaster  Co.. 
Pennsylvania,  i  n  1791, 
and  died  at  P)elleview, 
Oliio.  i860.  li  e  was 
virtually  the  first  bishop 
of  the  Evangelical  Asso- 
ciation, He  was  never 
married,  but  labored  in  season  and 
ont  of  season  for  the  promotion  of 
(Thrist's  kingdom.  Me  was  severely 
])lain,  in  his  ways  and  dress,  almost 
to  the  point  of  eccentricity. 
Although  he  was  exceedingl)  relig- 
ious, there  were  times  when  he  could 
"crack  a  joke"  in  the  drollest  manner 
i:)Ossible,  and  his  performances  in  this 
line  generally  afforded  food  for  ser- 
ious afterthought.  He  was  never 
known  to  say  an  unkind  word  about 
any  one,  and  his  quaint,  droll  sayings 
never  had  a  sting.  The  following  in- 
cidents are  given  to  illustrate  the 
many-sided  features  of  his  character. 

THE    BISHOP    DARNS    STOCKINGS 

In  1854  P>ishop  Seybert  dedicated  a 
church  at  Mt.  Zion  (Seitz  Church) 
in  York  County.  Pennsylvania.  Rev. 
Samuel  Seibert  was  preacher  in 
charge.  That  night  the  Bishop  and 
Rew  Seibert  quartered  together.  In 
ihe  morning  the  Bishop  arose  early 
and  after  Bible  study  and  family  de- 
votions, took  from  his  saddle  bags  a 
])air  of  torn  stockings  which  he  pro- 
ceeded to  darn.  When  his  task  was 
finished.  Rev.  .Seibert  said  to  him : 
"N^ow.  Bishop,  if  you  had  married 
when  you  were  young,  as  you  should 
have  done,  by  this  time  you  might 
/  have  daughters  who  would  wash  and 
mend  your  clothes  and  dam  your 
s(Kks."  AMiereupon  the  Bishop  re- 
])hed :  "That's  so.  Brother  Seibert,  as 
you  say,  had  I  married  when  young  I 
might  have  daughters  to  wash  and 
mend  mv  clothes  and  darn  my  socks, 
])Ut  then,  too.  I  might  ha\e  missed  iL 


\"()U  hit  it;  you  have  a  good  wife,  and 
ha\e  children  who  are  all  right,  but 
I  might  have  married  a  wife  wh(< 
might  have  stood  in  my  way  and 
might  have  dragged  me  down  to  hell." 
Then  he  added  Avith  a  droll  smile, 
■'You  men  with  wives  have  trouble 
which  1  haven't  got,  and  while  you 
are  bothering  with  that,  I  go  on  with 
my  work,  tend  to  my  own  clothes, 
and  darn  my  own  socks."  Saying 
this,  he  called  for  his  horse  and  in  a 
short  time  was  on  his  wa}^  to  the  far 
west. 

THE  BISHOP  TAKEN  FOR   A  TRAMP 

In  1858,  the  Central  Pennsylvania 
Conference  held  its  session  at  New 
Kingston,  near  Carlisle,  under  the 
presidenc}'^  of  Bishop  Seybert.  The 
Bishop's  quarters  were  fixed  at  the 
home  of  John  Musselman,  a  well-to- 
do  farmer,  whose  place  adjoined  the 
\  illage.  The  family  felt  highly  honor- 
ed in  having  the  Bishop  as  their  guest, 
and  made  great  preparations  to  enter- 
tain him  in  a  manner  befitting  his 
rank. 

Seybert  came  from  the  west,  and 
left  his  ln>rse  at  the  home  of  Da,vid 
Kutz,  an  old  friend,  near  Carlisle,  and 
from  thence  walked  down  the  railroad 
track  to  New  Kingston,  a  distance  of 
two  miles.  Arriving  at  the  Mussel- 
man  home  with  saddle-bags  slung 
across  his  shoulder,  clothes  dusty,  and 
shoes  mudd}',  his  apj^earance  was  any- 
thing but  that  of  a  Bishop.  Coming 
to  the  house  he  found  the  parents  out 
at  their  barn  doing  the  evening  work, 
and  a  grown  daughter  preparing  sup- 
per. Addressing  himself  to  the  young 
woman  he  told  her  he  was  a  "travel- 
er" and  would  like  to  have  entertain 
ment  for  a  while.  Said  the  young 
woman,  who  did  not  recognize  him : 
"We  are  not  fixed  to  keep  strangers 
just  now.  There  is  going  to  be  a  Con 
ference    here,    and    Bishop    Seybert    i.< 


168 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


g-oing  to  be  our  guest."  Well  then," 
said  the  Bishop,  in  his  droll  way. 
"Will  you  let  me  stay  for  supper?" 
To  this  Miss  Musselman  acceded, 
whereupon  the  Bishop  entered  the 
house,  went  to  a  table,  opened  his 
saddle  bags,  and  got  out  his  writing- 
materials,  and  was  soon  engaged  in 
writing  letters.  This  procedure  of  the 
stranger  greatly  excited  the  curiosity 
of  the  young  woman,  and  she  made  it 
her  business  to  pass  to  and  fro  behind 
the  writer  until  she  beheld  him  sign- 
ing his  name  to  a  letter,  "Johannis 
Seybert."  Upon  this  discovery  she 
quickly  ran  out  to  the  barn  and  in- 
formed her  father  of  her  great  blunder 
and  asked  what  to  do  to  make  it  right. 
It  was  agreed  to  say  nothing,  but 
await  what  the  Bishop  had  to  say. 

Bishop  Seybert  was  shown  his 
room,  and  all  was  right.  He  said 
nothing  about  the  matter,  but  the 
twinkle   in   his   eyes   whenever   it    met 

that  of   Miss   M plainly  said, 

'T  have  a  good  one  on  you!" 

THE    GIRLS    'SHINE"    HIS    SHOES 

Bishop  Seybert  never  blackened  his 
shoes,  but  kept  them  soft  with  oil, 
which  caused  the  dust  to  adhere 
to  them.  While  he  was  the  guest 
of  the  Musselmans,  during  the  Con- 
ference mentioned,  the  daughters 
of  Mr.  Musselman  concluded  to  make 
the  Bishop  look  more  dignified  by 
l)lackening  his  shoes.  The  Bisho]) 
had  a  habit  of  taking  ofif  his  shoes  in 
the  kitchen  and  going  into  his  bed- 
room in  his  stocking  feet.  One  night 
the  young  women  took  his  shoes  and 
polished  them.  In  the  morning  the 
Bishop  came  into  the  kitchen  for  his 
shoes.  Taking  them  up  he  looked 
them  all  over  with  a  cynical  smile, 
saying,  "These  are  not  mv  shoes."  He 
then  put  them  on  and  went  out  into 
the  yard,  brushed  his  feet  through  the 
grass  and  took  off  the  "shine."  Noth- 
ing further  was  said  about  the  matter, 
1)ut  his  droll  look  at  the  girls  was 
something  to  be  remembered. 


TOO  NEAR  HELL  FOR  THE  BISHOP 

Bishop  Seybert  was  very  much  op-' 
posed  to  the  use  of  tobacco,  chiefly  be- 
cause he  held  the  money  so  used 
ought  to  be  spent  in  the  Lord's  cause. 
When  the  Bishop  rebuked  the  use  of 
tobacco  it  was  generally  in  a  way  to 
be  long  remembered  as  the  following- 
example  evidences.  The  incident  we 
are  about  to  relate  also  took  place  at 
the  session  of  the  Central  Pennsyl- 
vania Conference  at  New  Kingston, 
which  was  the  last  visit  of  the  Bishop 
to  that  Conference.  We  will  ict  one 
who  was  present  tell  the  story  of  what 
happened. 

"A  number  of  us-  preachers  at  our 
boarding  place  were  regaling  our- 
selves by  smoking  cigars.  when 
Bishop  Seybert  came  in  upon  us.  with 
some  document  in  his  hands  f()r  com- 
mittee work.  Asked  to  be  seated  he 
handed  the  papers  to  one  of  the  breth- 
ren sayng :  "I  can't  stand  this,  it 
smells  as  if  hell  were  not  far  off!"  ami 
cjuickl}^  departed,  leaving  the  brethren 
to  their  own  thoughts." 

HE  DID  NOT  LOOK  LIKE  A  BISHOP 

Bisho})  Seybert  was  perhaps  the 
most  unconventional  preacher  in  the 
matter  of  dress  and  personal  appear- 
ances of  any  one  of  his  period.  He 
wore  a  broad-brimmed  hat,  and  in  his 
general  appearance  looked  like  a  Duu- 
kard  or  Amish,  as  we  see  them  to- 
day. His  shoes  were  heavy,  and 
built  for  wear.  He  kept  them  well 
oiled,  and  as  said,  would  never  al- 
low them  to  be  blackened.  He  was 
very  tidy  and  clean,  darned  his  own 
stockings,  and  mended  his  own  gar- 
ments. He  had  no  "Sunday-clothes," 
and  hence  often  ap])eared  in  the  pul- 
])it  with  ])atched  g'arments. 

The  onlv  instance  we  ever  heard  of 
in  which  he  sought  to  put  on  a  good 
appearance  was  during  his  visits  to 
the  publshing  hc^use  in  New  Berlin, 
when  that  i:)lace  was  still  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Church.  He  some- 
times traveled  with  a  knit  coat  or 
"round-about"  as  thev  were  then  call- 
ed. 


INCIDENTS    FROM    THE    LIFE    OF    BISHOP   JOHN   SEYBERT 


169 


Whenever  he  came  to  New  BerHn, 
wearing"  this  garment,  he  was  wont  to 
lake  it  off  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town 
and   put  on   his  "good"   coat. 

A  good  story  is  told  how  his  plain 
clothes  once  deceived  a  woman  who 
had  a  little  "gilt-edge"  in  her  nature. 

In  1846  the  l>ish()p  \isited  Albany, 
New  York,  and  preached  in  the  Evan- 
gelical Mission  there.  A  certain  man, 
whose  wife  had  never  met  Seyhert. 
it)ld  her  as  he  started  for  church  with- 
out her  that  he  would  bring  the 
Bishop  home  with  him  for  dinner.  The 
])roposition  appealed  to  the  native 
])ride  of  the  woman,  who  was  a  Ger- 
man, and  had  a  high  estimate  of  the 
dignity  of  the  episcopal  office. 

She  accordingly  bmught  all  her 
culinary  skill  and  resources  tp  bear  on 
this  great  occasion  of  her  life.  The  re- 
sult was  a  dinner  that  might  have  put 
a  Delmonico  to  the  blush,  we 
imagine.     The     great     spread     ready. 


she  awaited  the  coming  of  her  spouse 
with  the  Bishop.  After  a  while 
she  spied  her  husband  coming  in  the 
distance  minus  the  Bishop!  Her  heart 
sank  in  disappointment.  There  was 
with  him  a  little  old  man,  oddly  clad 
with  a  broad  brimmed  hat,  short  coat 
of  a  peculiar  cut,  with  a  row  of  big 
brass  buttons.  His  shoes  were  heavy 
and  ungainly.  Ujjon  seeing  this  man 
with  her  husband  she  said  she  had  ex- 
pected him  to  bring  the  Bishop,  and 
now  he  was  bringing  with  him  this 
"common  old  man."  With  her  woman- 
ly pride  humbled,  and  her  spirit  sore- 
ly vexed,  she  said  she  had  gone  to  all 
this  trouble  for  nothing.  When  her 
husband  arrived  she  tartly  asked  him 
why  he  had  not  brought  the  Bisho]) 
instead  of  this  fellow.  It  took  some 
time  until  the  husband  reconciled  her 
to  the  fact  that  this  was  the  Bisho]) 
and  she  doubtless  soon  realized  that 
he  was  worthy  of  her  previous  high 
estimate  of  such  a  personage. 


Some  Pennsylvania-German  Settlers  in  the  Western 

Part  of  the  State 

By  J.  A.  Scheffer,  M.  A.,  Allentown,  Pa. 


p 

J 

ACOB  KAHLE  (probably 
originally  spelled  Kehl) 
and  his  wife  Saraii,  with 
their  little  family  came 
from  Huntingdon  county, 
to  what  is  now  Clarion 
county.  Pennsylvania,  in 
1826.  They  set'tled  in  Elk 
iDwnshi])  and  began  clearing  a  farm  to 
plant  vegetables  and  sow  grain  so  as 
to  have  something  to  live  on.  That 
section  of  country  was  then  more  of  a 
wilderness  than  a  farming  and  oil 
well  community  as  it  is  now.  Bears 
and  other  wild  animals  were  then 
(|uite  numerous  and  would  sometimes 
come  into  the  farm  yard  during  the 
day  as  well  as  at  night.  One  day 
while  the  family  was  eating  dinner, 
the    parents    and    children    wer«.^    inter 


rupted  by  the  squealing  of  one  of 
their  j^igs  near  the  house  struggling 
in  the  paws  of  a  l)ear.  who  also  waul- 
ed some  dinner.  .\t  another  time 
when  Mr.  Kahle  was  on  his  way  lo 
the  village  of  Shippenville,  then  hav- 
ing only  a  few  houses,  accompanied 
by  his  two  small  sons  George  and 
John  ^^  .  he  was  again  called  by  the 
scpiealing  of  a  hog  for  dear  life  to  res- 
cue it  from  two  bears.  Being  chased 
from  their  intended  prey,  the  bears 
ran  out  (»n  the  road  near  where  the 
boys  were  standing,  and  so  frightened 
the  boys  that  they  let  out  such  un- 
expected and  fierce  3'ells  as  in  turn  to 
scare  the  bears  so  that  they  made  all 
haste  to  get  into  the  adjoining  woods. 
That  section  of  Pennsylvania 
which    now    includes    Armstrong.  But- 


170 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


ler,  Clarion,  Jefferson,  Forest,  Law- 
rence, Mercer,  Venango  and  adjoin- 
ing- counties  was  just  beginning  to  be 
occupied  by  settlers  seeking  to  make 
liomes  for  themselves,  where  the  In- 
dians still  lived  until  about  1780  or 
1790.  The  white  men  only  began  to 
migrate  to  those  parts  from  the  older 
eastern  counties  in  this  and  other 
states  and  from  Europe  after  the  lat- 
ter date.  And  then  settlers  did  not 
come  in  any  considerable  numbers 
till  after  1810,  and  still  later.  As  late 
as  from  the  years  1820  to  1840  there 
were  plenty  of  deer  and  elk,  bears, 
wolves,  panthers  and  other  wild  ani- 
mals, wild  turkeys  and  birds  in  those 
forests.  And  some  of  these  would 
frequently  be  seen  crossing  the  farm- 
er's fields  from  one  woods  to  another 
or  be  chased  by  dogs  and  hunters. 

The  first  German  or  Pennsyhania- 
German  settlers  that  came  tvi  afore- 
named township  was  in  1808.  These 
were  two  families  by  the  name  of 
(jroh  (now  Growe)  and^  ITartman, 
and  in  181 5  Charles  Fischer.  Feter 
and  John  Keiser  (now  Kiser)  moved 
into  this  locality  from  Westmoeland 
County,  Pa.,  in  181 7.  These  were  all 
farmers  by  occu])ation.  John  Koenig 
'later  King)  a  blacksmith,  came  from 
[funtingdon  county  to  Shippenville. 
and  Frederick  Kehl  with  his  father- 
in-law,  George  Heuyskel  (Ilyshell) 
about   1822. 

John  \A'.  Kahl  (note  the  autograph 
spelling  of  the  name)  was  the  son  of 
Jacob  and  Sarah  Kahle.  He  was  born 
Dec.  28,  1821,  came  with  his  parents 
to  the  place  above  stated  and  remain- 
ed on  the  farm  till  1844.  Then  he 
became  bookkeeper  for  Wm.  B.  Fet- 
xer  at  Elk  Furnace  and  later  became 
manager  of  this  industrial  plant.  In 
1859  he  designed  and  built  the  first 
coke  oven  erected  in  Clarion  county, 
near  Bradys  bend  on  the  Allegheny 
river.  He  served  as  sujjeriniendcnt 
')f  iron  furnaces  fifteen  years. 


Mr.  Kahl  married  Anna  Cheers  in 
1845.  They  had  four  sons  and  four 
daughters  and  all  grew  to  a  useful 
man-  and  womanhood.  He  removed  to 
Lineville  in  the  northwestern  part 
of  the  county  in  i860,  to  engage  in 
mercantile  business  and  farming. 

A  company  of  capitalists  from  New 
York  bought  a  large  tract  of  land  be- 
tween Franklin  and  Oil  City  along  the 
Allegheny  river  and  in  1864  employed 
Mr.  Kahl  to  superintend  the  develop- 
ment of  the  property  for  oil.  As  in  all 
his  previous  engagements,  he  was 
loyal  to  the  interest  of  his  emi)loyers. 
During  this  work  there  was  an  at- 
tempt to  bribe  him.  For  he  was  of- 
fered one  hundred  thousand  dollars  if 
he  would  give  certain  results  of  the 
wells  tested  to  other  parties  oriC  week 
Ijefore  informing  the  company.  Some 
acquaintances  urged  him  to  accept  the 
offer  and  become  rich  at  once.  '*  His 
answer  was  that  the  company  was 
paying  him  a  just  salary  for  attending 
to  their  business.  And  if  there  was 
anything  to  be  gained  by  the  first  in- 
formation given,  the  company  shall 
have  the  benefit  of  it."  An  honest 
re()ly  from  an  honest  man,  and  worthy 
of  following  by  all  at  all  times.  After 
thoroughly  testing  the  territory  for 
oil  and  satisfying  himself  that  the  in- 
come would  not  pay  expenses,  he  re- 
signed and  advised  the  company  to 
quit  oeprations  in  that  locality. 

Mr.  Kahl  served  eighteen  years  as 
school  director,  a  number  of  years  as 
post  master  and  in  1878  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  Pennsylvania  Legisla- 
ture. In  all  these  positions  as  always 
he  was  faithful  and  true  to  his  constit- 
uents. He  was  later  a  delegate  to  a 
State  and  two  National  i:)olitical  con- 
\entions. 

After  the  foregoing  statement  it  is 
hardly  necessary  to  add  that  Mr.  J. 
W.  Kahl  was  an  active  genuine  and 
faithful  member  of  the  Christian 
Church.  His  wife  and  childien  are 
also  consistent  Christians. 


171 


Suggestive  Sources  of  Church  History 


T  IS  a  matter  of  regret 
that  the  early  history  of 
many  of  the  oldest  Luth- 
eran and  Reformed 
churches  i  n  eastern 
Pennsylvania  is  so  in- 
complete. Jn  some  in- 
stances it  is  not  known 
when  or  by  whom  the  congregations 
were  organized.  The  reason  i-^  to  be 
found  in  the  unorganized  condition  of 
the  people  in  early  days.  In  some 
places  there  was  preaching  occasion- 
ally by  traveling  missioniaries  long  be- 
fore CQugregations  were  organized. 
Then  in  numerous  instances  no  rec- 
ords were  kept  in  the  beginning,  or 
the  records  have  been  lost.  These 
facts  make  the  stud}'^  and  compiling 
of  the  early  history  of  the  congre- 
gations difficult  and  in  many  respects 
uncertain.  IMuch  has  to  be  taken  for 
granted.  and  frequently  tradition 
must   be  accepted   for  actual  history. 

Various  church  bodies  have  years 
ago  directed  the  pastors  to  compile 
and  pul)lish  the  history  of  the  congre- 
gations served  by  them.  This  has 
l)een  done  only  to  a  limited  extent. 
As  far  as  done  the  work  is  of  great 
value.  We  have  before  reported  that 
the  Lutheran  Conference  of  Berks 
county  a  few  \^ears  ago  arranged  for 
the  compiling  of  the  history  of  all 
the  Lutheran  and  union  churches  in 
said  county.  The  work  has  been  done 
largely  by  Rev.  J.  W.  Early,  a  gentle- 
man w^ell  qualified  for  the  work.  It 
would  be  very  acceptable  if  a  similar 
Avork  could  be  done  for  the  Reformed 
Church  in  this  large  county.  We  have 
a  well  authenticated  and  c  ^nplete 
history  of  the  Reformed  Church  in 
Reading,  covering  all  the  ''ourteen 
congregations,  which  was  compiled 
by  the  former  editor  of  the  Record, 
who  expended  much  ])atient  labor  up- 
on it.  In  the  course  of  time  the  vol- 
ume will  become  very  valuable.  It  is 
not     now     as    much    a])preciated    as    it 


should  be.  As  usual  such  a  work  will 
be  appreciated  only  when  the  edition 
will  have  been  exhausted  and  copies 
are  difficult  to  secure.  The  book  is 
l)ublished  in  the  Record  office. 

The  longer  the  work  of  compiling 
the  histories  of  the  congregations  is 
delayed  the  more  difficult  it  becomes. 
Much  material  now  available  will  be- 
come lost  with  lapse  of  time  fmd  the 
departure  of  our  oldest  people.  With 
the  death  of  some  persons  valuable 
church  records  will  be  lost  or  forgot- 
ten. 

A  er}^  few  congregations  have 
suitable  places  for  preserving  t-ecords. 
These  are  in  the  custody  of  indivi- 
ihial  meml)ers.  The  older  records  are 
in  small  books,  and  these  have  been 
laid  away,  and  are  being  forgotten. 
All  such  records  should  be  collected 
and  carefully  ]jreserved.  A  year  or 
more  ago  the  Berks  County  Histori- 
cal Society  appointed  a  committee  for 
the  purpose  of  transcribing  old  church 
records.  So  far  as  the  writer  knows 
nothing  has  been  done  beyond  tran- 
scribing the  early  record  of  the  Berne 
church,  and  it  is  not  likely  that  much 
will  be  done  on  account  of  the  labor 
involved. 

Much  historical  material  is  alsn 
found  in  the  inscriptions  on  the  tomb- 
stones in  the  old  graveyards.  These 
inscriptions  are.  year  by  year,  becom- 
ing more  illegible  through  the  ravag- 
es of  the  weather.  Already  many  can 
no  longer  be  deciphered.  Louis  Rich- 
ards, es(|..  the  painstaking  jiresident 
of  the  above  historical  society,  has 
frequently  urged  country  pastors  to 
appoint  capable  young  men  to  copv 
the  inscriptions  on  the  oldest  tomb- 
stones and  record  them  in  the  church 
books,  where  thev  would  be  acces- 
sible. Unfortunately  very  little  has 
been  done  in  this  line.  Mr.  M.  A.  Gru- 
l)er.  a  native  of  \orth  Heidelberg 
township,  Berks  county,  now  a  clerk 
in    the  War  Department  at  Washing- 


172 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


ton,  some  time  ago  copied  the  in- 
scriptions on  all  the  old  tombstones 
at  the  historic  Corner  church,  near 
Robesonia,  with  the  exception  of  a 
few  which  are  entirely  illegible.  There 
are  475  such  inscriptions.  Mr.  G.  has 
entered  these  inscriptions,  together 
with  much  other  history,  in  the  con- 
gregational record.  He  has  also  two 
copies  of  this  work  consisting  of  562 
i:)ages,  one  of  which  he  presented  to 
the  congregation,  and  retained  the 
other  in  his  possession.  He  deserves 
much  praise  for  this  work,  which  in- 
volved very  much  time  and  labor. 
We  mention  this  fact  partly  in  recog- 
nition of  the  painstaking  labor  of  Mr. 
Gruber,  and  also  to  encourage  others 
to  perform  similar  work  at  other 
l)laces.  There  is  a  vast  field  for  such 
U'ork   in    Berks  county  alone. 

Mr.      Louis       Richards       mentioned 
above,   some   years   ago  visited    many 


of  the  old  graveyards  in  Berks  county 
and  copied  numerotis  inscriptions  on 
the  older  tombstones,  which  he  has 
carefully  preserved.  The  writer  last 
fall  spent  the  greater  part  of  a  day  at 
the  North  Heidelberg  church  and 
copied  the  inscriptions  of  all  the  old 
tombstones.  Fortunately  with  only 
several  exceptions  all  of  them  were 
still  decipherable.  This  list  was  pub- 
lished, together  with  the  history  of 
the  congregation,  in  the  "Pennsyl- 
vania-German" magazine  for  Febr- 
uary. 

We  would  earnestly  urge  country 
pastors  to  carry  out  the  suggestion 
made  above,  whereby  they  can  ren- 
der a  most  acceptable  service  to  pres- 
ent and  future  generations.  It  will 
not  be  difBcult  to  secure  the 'services 
of   competent    persons    in  most  places. 

— Reformed    Church    Record. 


Grace  Leinberger,  or  the  White  Rose 

A  TALE  OF  FRONTIER  LIFE 

By  J.  Fred  Bachman,  Daniels ville,  Pa. 

PART  I 


T      A\'AS      a     cold     frosty 
morning      in     November. 
Fort    Allen,    at  the  pres- 
ent   town    of  Weissport, 
was  enveloped  by  one  of 
the     mists     so     frequent 
along  the    Lehigh   river. 
The    commanding  officer  of  the  fort 
stood     conversing     with     one    of    the 
guards  as  was  his  usual  custom. 

"Colonel,  I  think  I  heerd  some  fir- 
ing out  that  way,"  said  the  trusty 
guard  as  he  pointed  in  a  westerly 
direction  across  the  river. 

"I  think  I  heerd  it  again,"  he  said 
as  he  inclined  his  ear  in  the  direction 
from  which  he  had  heard  the  sound. 

The  Colonel  listened  some  time  ."I 
guess   you    are    mistaken,Wordie,"    he 


said.  "I  am  unable  to  hear  anything." 

The  Colonel  had  hardly  finished 
talking  when  the  report  was  heard 
more  distinctly. 

"Sound  the  alarm !"  cried  the  com- 
manding officer  to  a  boy  who  was 
standing  near  by.  "Sound  the  alarm  !" 
he  said  again. 

The  boy  seized  his  drum  and  began 
to  beat  it  vigorously.  The  soldiers 
immediately  assembled  at  their  re- 
spective places  ready  for  duty. 

All  was  now  confusion  in  the  fort. 
\A"omen  and  children  were  terror 
stricken  while  every  soldier  was  ready 
to  sacrifice  his  life  to  save  the  lives  of 
others. 

Colonel  Clapham  selected  a  number 
of  men  from  his  faithful  little  band. 
They  sallied  forth  from  the  little  fort 


GRACE  LEINBERGER,  OR   THE   WHITE   ROSE 


173 


waving:  good  bye  to  loved  ones,  waded 
across  the  Lehigh  river  and  were  soon 
following  the  Indian  trail  leading 
along  the  Mahoning  Creek. 

They  kept  well  under  shelter  as 
they  walked  briskly  along  in  Indian 
file  for  they  knew  that  they  were  seek- 
ing a  wily  foe  ever  ready  to  take  them 
at  a  disadvantage  whenever  an  oppor- 
tunity should  offer. 

They  heard  continued  firing  as  they 
marched  along,  and  they  knew  that 
some  one  was  bravely  defending  him- 
self against  the  cruel  savages. 

On  and  on  went  that  determined 
band,  for  determined  they  were,  cross- 
ing ravines,  swamps  and  mires.  They 
followed  their  brave  leader  wherever 
he  went. 

The  report  of  the  rifle  became  more 
and  more  distinct  but  at  last  ceased  to 
be  heard. 

The  Colonel  shook  his  head.  "I 
think  we  are  too  late,"  he  said,  as  he 
stopped  and  scrutinized  the  counte- 
nances of  his  men.  "What  will  we 
do?"  he  asked. 

"We  must  go  on,"  said  his  men  in 
an  undertone. 

"I  leave  it  to  you,"  said  the  brave 
commander,  who  always  had  the  wel- 
fare of  his  men  at  heart. 

"V\'e  will  follow  you  wherever  you 
lead,"   they  answered. 

"Attention  men !  March,"  said  the 
commander  as  he  looked  at  his  trusty 
rifle.  He  feared  that  the  wily  savages 
might  waylay  them. 

Thcv  continued  their  wearisome 
march  keeping  under  shelter  as  mucli 
as  possible.  No  one  showed  any  signs 
of  fatigue.  At  last  they  saw  a  small  log- 
house  in  the  distance. 

"That  is  the  ])lace,  I  think,"  ^aid  the 
commander  in  a  whis])er.  "Each  man 
will  take  care  of  himself,"  he  contin- 
ued. 

'Vhu  soldiers  understood  their  faith- 
ful leader.  Each  one  of  them  now 
selected  the  largest  trees  for  shelter 
as  they  moved  cautiously  forward. 

The  Indians  saw  the  soldiers  as 
they  approached.  A  running  fight  en- 
sued. The  savages  fled  leaving  four  of 


their  number  lying  dead   in   the  clear- 
ing before  the  house. 

After  the  Indians  had  left,  the  sol- 
diers turned  their  attention  to  the  oc- 
cu])ants  of  the  house. 

The  house  showed  signs  of  having 
withstood  a  siege. The  door  was  shat- 
tered and  the  shutters  to  the  windows 
were  broken  open.  On  the  floor  in  the 
house  lay  a  young  man  and  woman 
beside  their  faithful  watch  dog. 

The  young  man  was  dead.  His  wife 
still  showed  signs  of  life.  She  opened 
her  eyes  as  the  soldiers  approached 
and  whispered  something,  but  could 
not  be  understood. 

'i'he  Colonel  placed  a  small  bottle 
containing  some  spirits  to  her  mouth. 
She  drank  a  little  of  it.  It  revived  her. 
Her  mouth  moved  again.  The  Colonel 
and  men  knelt  by  her  side  and  listened 
intently. 

"  Please  save  my  child,"  she  said. 
"You  will  find  it  wrap])ed  in  a  bundle 
(^f  clothing  and  stuck  behmd  the  chim- 
ney in  the  attic.  Have  some  Christian 
mother  and  father  to  raise  it." 

"By  God's  help  we  will  do  so!"  said 
the  Colonel  as  he  dashed  away  the 
tears  that  streamed  down  his  -cheeks. 

The  mother's  head  sank  and  she 
spoke  no  more.  Her  last  thoughts 
were  about  her  child. 

The  Colonel  and  his  men  ascended 
the  ladder  to  the  attic  and  found  a 
young  infant  wrapped  in  a  bundle  oi 
clothing  behind  jthe  chimney  as  the 
mother  had  stated.  A  small  piece  of 
l)aper  was  pinned  to  its  clothing  gi\- 
ing   the   name   of   Grace    Leinberger. 

The    soldiers    gave    the    mother  and 
father  of  the  little  infant  decent  burial 
and    then    turned    on  their  way  home 
ward    each    one    carrying  the  child  by 
turns. 

As  they  were  traveling  along  they 
were  alarmed  !)}■  the  report  of  a  rifle 
in  the  direction  of  the  fort.  They  im- 
mediately sprang  behind  trees  ready 
for  any  foe  that  should  approach 
them. 

Moving  along  cautiously  they  were 
surprised  to  meet  their  friend  Pat  Ma- 


174 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


g^rab  who  had  come  out  in  search  of 
them. 

"Well,  well,  Pat!"  said  the  Colonel, 
to  the  jolly  Irishman  who  was  waving 
two  scalps  towards  them  as  a  trophy, 
,,What   have   you    there?" 

"Two — two  scalps,"  cried  Pat. 

"An'    how    did    you  get  them  Pat?" 


cried  one  of  the  men. 

"I  surrounded  two  Indians  an'  took 
'em." 

The  truth  of  the  matter  was  that 
Pat  came  unawares  upon  these  two 
Indians  and  despatched  them.  He  al- 
ways claimed  however  that  he  had 
surrounded  them. 


Ancient  Home  of  Old  Organ  Builders 


OLLOWING  in  the  foot- 
steps of  three  genera- 
tions of  his  family,  who 
were  builders  of  church 
organs,  an  unassuming 
Pennsylvania  German,  ar- 
tisan, 70  years  old,  still 
carries  on  the  craft  ac- 
cording to  the  ways  of  his  forefathers. 
In  his  quaint  old  shop,  far  from  the 
cities  and  the  great  highways  of  traf- 
fic this  solitary  survivor  of  a  by-gone 
line  of  organ-makers  is  even  yet 
ready  to  undertake  single-handed  the 
construction  of  an  entire  pipe  organ. 
That  was  how  organs  were  made  a 
century  ago,  for  then  the  builder  was 
content  to  devote  a  year  or  two  to  the 
making  of  one  instrument.  Now, 
when  a  church  gives  a  contract  for  a 
new  organ,  it  must  be  delivered  with- 
in a  few  weeks.  So  the  organ  builder 
of  the  old  school  who  mastereil  every 
detail  of  the  Avork  has  been  supplant- 
ed almost  evervwh'ere  by  big  factor- 
ies employing  scores  or  possibV  hun- 
dreds of  men,  each  making  but  a 
small  part  of  the  organ,  and  none, 
probably,  able  to  construct  an  entire 
instrument. 

To  visit  the  shop  of  this  ancient 
organ  builder  of  the  Pennsylvania 
German  country  is  like  turning  the 
flight  of  time  backward  many  decades 
to  the  days  when  men  did  things  leis- 
urely. The  building  itself  was  erect- 
ed in  the  i8th  century;  the  tools  were 
made  by  rural  blacksmiths  for  'the 
grandfather  and  the  great-grandfath- 
er of  the  present  aged  master  of  the 
shop,    and    this    kindly,    white-bearded 


musical  genius  himself  now  finds  his 
chief  delight  in  narrating  incidents  of 
the  times  before  factory  organs  had 
been  introduced,  when  clergymen  and 
church  committees  made  long  <^rips  on 
horseback  to  arrange  for  the  building 
of  organs. 

The  old  shop  stands  on  the  edge  of 
the  little  village  of  Palm,  in  the  north- 
western corner  of  Montgomery  Co., 
50  miles  from  Philadelphia.  All 
through  that  region  the  Pennsylvania 
German  dialect  is  spoken  in  the 
homes,  the  stores  and  the  churches. 
German  immigrants  settled  there 
early  in  the  eighteenth  century,  and 
they  and  their  descendants  clung  to 
the  tongue  of  their  fatherland  In  the 
course  of  time  some  English  words 
were  adooted,  and  thus  a  new  dialect 
—  the  Pennsylvania  German  was 
evolved. 

In  the  vicinit}^  of  the  present  vil- 
lage of  Palm,  some  Schwenkfelder 
families  settled  between  1730  and 
1740.  The  Schwenkfelders,  a  small 
German  sect,  were  followers  of  Cas- 
per Schwenkfeld  a  Silesian  theologian 
of  the  time  of  Luther.  In  some  re- 
spects they  resembled  the  English 
Quakers,  and  it  is  said  that  George 
Fox  and  William  Penn  obtaine  1  many 
of  their  religious  ideas  from  the  writ- 
ings of  Schwenkfeld.  The  members 
of  this  sect  avoided  ostentatious  dress 
insisted  upon  strict  simplicir}^  and 
did  not  sanction  a  paid  clergy. 

Among  the  Schwenkfelders  were 
Balthaser  Krauss  and  his  honsehold. 
A  tuning-fork  was  the  only  musical 
instrument  in   the    possession    of    this 


ANCIENT  HOME  OF  OLD  ORGAN  BUILDERS 


175 


family,  from  which  was  to  spring  a 
succession  of  makers  of  musical  in- 
struments. 

This  Balthaser  Krauss  had  a  son  of 
the  same  name,  and  the  latter  had 
three  sons  named  John,  Andrew  and 
George.  The  boys  developed  marked 
mechanical  skill,  and  in  1790  they, 
with  the  aid  of  their  father,  planned 
and   built  a   pipe  organ. 

The  Krausses  belonged  to  a  literary 
society  of  which  Rev.  F.  W.  (jeisen- 
heimer,  pastor  of  a  near-by  Lutheran 
church,  was  also  a  member.  Learn- 
ing of  the  organ  which  the  Krauss 
l)oys  had  built,  this  clergyman  urged 
them  to  continue  work  of  that  nature 
and  to  supply  the  growing  demand 
for  organs  in  the  churches  of  Penn- 
sylvania, David  Tannenberger,  a 
}kIoravian  had  built  some  organs  in 
i  Pennsylvania  prior  to  that  time,  and 
a  few  had  been  made  in  the  New  Eng- 
land States  but  most  church  organs 
had  to  be  imported  from  England  or 
Germany. 

But  now  a  serious  religious  obsta- 
cle was  encountered.  The  Schwenk- 
felders  excluded  organs  from  their 
places  of  worship,  their  opposition 
being  based  upon  arguments  similar 
to  those  of  the  Scotch  Presbyterians, 
who  called  an  organ  "a  kist  o'  whus- 
tles,"  or  the  Puritans  who  looked  up- 
on the  organ  as  "the  devil's  bagpipes." 
However,  the  musical  and  mechanical 
genius  of  the  Krauss  boys  overcame 
the  prejudices  of  their  religion,  and, 
tleclaring  that  an  organ  was  no  more 
sinful  than  their  grandfather's  tuning 
t'lirk.  they  proceeded  with  the  con- 
struction of  a  large  pipe  organ. 

W  h(Mi  completed  this  organ  was 
placed  in  Longswamp  Church,  in 
llerks  count \-,  a  dozen  miles  west  of 
the  Krauss  home.  It  is  still  in  use 
having  been  rel)uiU  several  times  by 
succeeding  niem])ers  of  the  Krauss 
family.  It  now  contains  575  pipes, 
and  is  made  of  solid  walnut,  being  16 
feet  high    and    ii    feet  wide. 

Much  dissension  occurred  in  tlie 
Schwenkfeld  Church  because  some  of 
the  members  thus  defied  its  traditions 
bv  l)ui]dinir  ■'music    boxes"    for    other 


sects.  As  a  result  of  the  bitter  feeling 
several  of  the  Krausses  left  the 
church.  Even  at  the  present  time  the 
Schwenkfelder  churches  of  that  vicin- 
ity do  not  have  musical  accompani- 
ment for  the  singing  at  their  church 
services,  although  the  use  of  an  or- 
gan is  permitted  in  the  Sundax 
School. 

The  three  brothers  now  devole<l 
much  attention  to  the  building  of 
pipe  organs.  An  account  book  and 
diary  which  John  Krauss  kept  shows 
that  in  1807  they  received  262  pounds 
and  10  shillings  for  an  organ  placed 
in  St.  Paul's  Lutheran  Church,  near 
their  home.  According  to  this  record 
they  also  made  pianofortes.  one 
having  been  sold  in  1806  for  $55. 

|ohn  Krauss  retired  from  the  or- 
gan building  firm  in  1812,  and  after- 
ward his  genius  manifested  itself  in 
the  manufacture  of  wool  cardi'ig  ma-  • 
chines.  He  alst)  was  an  astronomer  of 
some  renown.  The  transmisrion  of 
talent  was  demonstrated  in  this 
l)ranch  of  the  family  by  the  fact  that 
lohn  Krauss's  son  Anthony  was  the 
inventor  of  the  four-horse  lever-pow- 
er and  threshing  machine. 

Andrew  Krauss  continued  the  or- 
gan building  business  until  Ins  death 
in  1841.  He  and  his  brothers  built  48 
organs  an  average  of  about  one  a 
year.  Several  of  these  remain  in  use 
to-day.  One  of  the  largest  is  in  the 
Catholic  Church  of  the  Most  Blessed 
Sacrament,  at  Bally.  Berks  county. 
This  was  constructed  more  than  100 
years  ago.  and  some  of  the  original 
parts  are  still  in  the  instrument.  A 
large  organ  made  for  Zion  Lutheran 
Church, '  Philadeli)hia.  in  1814.  now 
serves  another  Lutheran  congregation 
in  the  same  city. 

George  and  ]oe\.  sons  of  Andrew 
Krauss,  continued  their  father's  voca- 
tion after  his  death.  .\t  the  present 
time  the  old  workshop  is  as  well  pre- 
l)ared  as  ever  for  the  building  of  or- 
gans;  but  the  owner.  Ed\>'in  C. 
Krauss  has  not  often  been  called  up 
on  to  undertake  such  work  in  recent 
vears.  — Dailv   Register. 


176 


A  Farmer  Shelters  Tramps  for  Forty  Years 


NOWN  as  the  "friend  of 
the  tramp"  because  he 
has  fed  and  sheltered 
them  for  years  —  as 
many  as  300  in  twelve 
months — Rev.  Jacob  B. 
Alensch,  a  plain  Menno- 
nite  preacher-farmer  has 
won  for  himself  a  warm  place  in  the 
hearts  and  ailections  of  the  friendless 
and  homeless  wanderers,  who  came 
his  way. 

Down  in  Skippack  Township, 
Montgomery  County,  Rev.  Mr. 
Mensch  has  lived  for  over  40  years. 
and  in  all  that  time  he  has  dispensed 
liospitality  in  his  own  quiet  and 
i.»riginal  way.  It  is  original  because  he 
fitted  up  a  tenement  directly  opposite 
his  own  large  farm-house,  into  which 
he  put  beds  for  the  tramps.  After  giv- 
ing them  suppers  he  would  shelter 
them  and  then  give  them  their  break- 
fasts ;  but  in  no  instance  would  he  ac- 
cent  their   laljor   for  his   hosoitality. 

But  one  night  several  of  the  un- 
grateful hoboes  stole  the  beds  and  de- 
parted with  them,  and  then  Rev.  Mr. 
Mensch  hit  on  the  plan  of  putting 
iron  bars  at  the  windows  and  locking 
the  door  securely  so  that  his  guests 
could  not  skiddoo  at  night,  even  if 
they  had  a  mind  to. 

HIS   EXCEPTIONAL   LIBRARY 

Mr.  Mensch  is  known  in  Eastern 
Pennsylvania,  among  the  Mennonite 
sect,  as  the  owner  of  a  library  exceed- 
ingly rare  because  it  contains  Bibles 
and  commentaries  on  sacred  litera- 
ture from  100  to  400  years  old.  He  has 
almanacs  of  each  year  from  1750  to 
the  present  time,  the  nucleus  of  his 
collection  having  been  laid  by  his 
grandfather  and  then  added  to  from 
year  to  year  by  his  father  and  himself. 
Recently  former  Governor  Penny- 
l)acker  visited  \lv.  ]\Tensch  and  was 
so  impressed  with  the  value  of  his  old 
Biblical  and  literary  works  tliat  he 
made  an  effort  to  buy  some  of  them. 
I  hit  .the    old  ])reacher  who  is  well-to- 


do.  spurned  the  offers,  and  said  so 
long  as  he  lived  no  money  in  the 
world  could  break  up  the  collection, 
which  he  holds  sacred  and  above 
price. 

Mr.  Mensch  is  now  74  years  old. 
and  although  his  form  is  bent  and  he 
sees  the  shadows  of  life  growing- 
longer  as  evening  falls,  he  still  journ- 
eys every  Sabbath  to  the  little  meet- 
ing-house on  the  crest  of  the  ridge 
just  beyond  his  home  to  preach  the 
Word  in  German. 

Advancing  years  compelled  him  to 
give  up  acti\-e  farm  life,  and  wiien  he 
sold  his  farm,  two  months  ago  it  sev- 
ered a  link  in  family  possessions,  for 
tlie  ])lace  had  belonged  to  his  father- 
in-law. 

SINGULARLY  ACQUIRED 

And  the  story  of  how  it  was  given 
to  Mr.  Mensch  was  interestingly  told 
by  him.  He  had  been  living  on  a  180 
acre  tract  in  Berks  Comity,  when  his 
father-in-law,  getting  in  ill-health, 
told  him  if  he  would  move  on  his 
farm  it  would  be  his  when  he  died. 
lM»ur  \\eeks  after  he  had  moved  there 
the  father-in-law  passed  away,  and 
the  farm  became  Mr.  Mensch's.  On 
all  sides  around  him  he  can  see  the 
well-tilled  acres  of  his  sons,  for  they 
have  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  their 
sire   and  become   farmers,   too 

Like  others  of  his  faith,  Mr. 
Mensch  observes  a  religious  worship 
that  is  severely  plain  and  shorn  of  all 
the  "frills"  of  most  churches.  He  looks 
askance  at  music  as  an  essential  of 
church  ser\ice,  and  at  his  own  home, 
when  a  company  of  guests  were  about 
to  indulge  in  vocal  and  instrumental 
selections,  he  courteously  explained 
his  views  and  excused  himself  adding 
that  he  had  no  objection  to  them  en- 
joying it  if  they  saw  proper,  but  that 
for  his  own  conscience  sake  he  would 
go  to  another  apartment.  As  for  peo- 
ple having  photographs  taken  of 
themselves.  he  regarded  that  as 
vanitv. — Town   and   Countrv. 


177 


A  Reply  to  the  Letter  of  Dr.  Alfred  P.  Schultz 

By  M.  A.  Gruber 


Editor    of    THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 

I  read  with  amazement  the  letter  of 
Dr.  Alfred  F.  Schultz  as  published  in 
the  December  number  (1908)  of  THE 
I'ENNSYLVAXIA-GERAJAN. 

It  is  difficult  to  understand  what 
motive  prompted  him  to  gfive  vent  to 
certain  expressions  denunciatory  of 
the  (ierman- Americans,  wdiich  term 
includes  the  Pennsylvania-Germans, 
unless  it  be  that  he  wishes  to  advertise 
his  book,  "Race  and  Mongrel,"  in  ad- 
\ocacy  of  his  views  on  the  hereditary 
influence  of  the  mother  tongue. 

"^Mother  tongue"  seems  to  be  his 
hobby,  in  fact  a  monstrous  hobby  that 
in  order  to  ride  it  to  his  sati^faction 
he  appears  not  to  recognize  any  good 
features  that  do  not  come  up  to  his 
standard  of  distinguished  or  eminent 
leadership.  He  seems  unwilling  to  ste  > 
down  for  a  moment  from  that  hobby 
in  order  to  take  cognizance  among  the 
I'ennsvlvania-Germans  of  the  many 
excellent  qualities  and  characteristics 
which,  although  their  possessors  may 
not  have  reached  the  very  pinnacle  of 
fame,  have  nevertheless  been  great  in- 
strumentalities in  the  progress,  devel- 
opment and  betterment  of  the  coun- 
try. Then.  too.  in  keeping  continually 
astride  that  hobby,  he  is  inable  to  dis- 
cern the  real  causes  for  certain  con- 
ditions, and  unforttmately  and  im- 
l)roperly  in  a  number  of  instances  at- 
tributes to  want  of  cultivation  of  the 
mother  tongue  the  lack  of  eminently 
famous  men  among  the  German- 
Americans  in  the  various  fields  of 
human   achievement. 

In  this  connection  it  may  be  worthy 
of  remark  that  in  the  case  of  Dr. 
Schultz's  "greatest  of  all  thinkers." 
Tmmanuel  Kant,  the  grandfather 
(Cant)  of  that  distinguished  philos- 
opher emigrated  fr(im  Scotland,  hav- 
ing settled  first  at  Mcmcl  and  after- 
wards at  Tilsit.  Prussia.  Kant  'oecaiuc 


the  great  thinker  in  si)ite  of  the  fact 
that  he  was  an  alien  to  "'auld  Scot- 
land" and  substituted  for  the  ances- 
tral language  of  Shakespeare  the 
a(k)pted  tongue  of  Luther  in  which  he 
ga\e  to  the  world  the  weightv 
thoughts  of  his  "critical  philosophy." 
Dr.  Schultz  evidently  could  not 
have  acquainted  himself  with  the  his- 
tory of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania 
and  other  institutions  of  learning  in 
the  Keystone  State,  nor  could  he  have 
been  anxious  to  make  research  into  a 
hundred  and  one  other  matters  per- 
taining to  Pennsylvania-Germandom  ; 
for  by  so  doing  he  could  not  have 
helped  coming  across  a  number  of  dis- 
tinguished personages  that  should 
have  changed  his  views  materially. 
Probably  by  reading  up  some  of  the 
back  numbers  of  THE  PEX\SYL- 
VANIA-GERMAN,  he  may  find  suf- 
ficient material  to  hold  his  attention 
for  a  while  and  cause  him  to  wonder 
at  his  abrupt  statements. 

If  no  stars  of  the  first  maynitnde.  ac- 
cording tt)  his  wa}'-  of  thinking,  illum- 
ine the  sky  of  the  German-Americans 
he  could  not  fail  to  find  a  number  of 
stars  of  the  second  magnitmle  and 
numerous  luminaries  of  tlie  third  and 
fourth  magnitudes,  if  he  will  but  re- 
mo\e  the  darkening  t)bstac]e  of  his 
hubby  from   the  field  of  \ision. 

Then  why  hurl  the  denunciations  at 
a  class  of  people  because  there  may 
not  have  been  found  as  of  thst  class 
of  men  the  ecpial  of  P>urke.  l>eethoven. 
Xelson.  Agassiz,  or  Hawthorne?  \\'hv 
n(»t  give  credit  where  credit  is  due'- 
The  records  of  achievement  show 
many  distinguished  men  belonging  to 
the  Pennsvlvania-Germans :  and  if  it 
so  be  that  their  names  are  not 
found  among  the  most  illustrious  on 
the  scroll  of  fame,  their  good  deeds 
and  great  achievements  arc  neverthe- 
less kee|)ing  their  memories  green. 


178 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Dr.  Schultz,  in  his  laliorious  efforts 
to  establish  his  unique  and  pet  theory 
in  "Race  and  Mongrel."  endeavors  to 
base  his  conclusions  upon  the  truth 
contained  in  Schiller's  noted  line. 
"Die  Weltgeschichte  ist  das  Weltgericht;" 
but   his   impetuous   pen.   coupled   with 


much  that  is  mere  assumption,  calls  to 
mind  the  couplet  of  Geothe : 

"Durch   Heftigkeit  eresetzt  der   Irrande 
Was    ihm     an     Wahrheit    und     an     Kraften 
fehlt." 

M.  A.  GRUBER. 
\\  ashing'tou,  D.  C. 


The  Stage  Coach  Driver 

By  Hon.  Henry  Chapman 


NOTE — The  following  lines  written  by 
Hon.  Henry  Chapman  are  taken  from  Vol. 
I  of  "A  Collection  of  Papers  Read  Before 
the    Bucks    County    Historical    Society." 

T  IS  not  my  purpose  to 
draw  any  disparaging 
contrast  between  them 
and  the  drivers  of  the 
present  time.  The  lat- 
ter are  usually  a  worthy 
and  accomodating  set  of 
persons,  and  their  turn- 
outs are  adapted  to  the  requiicments 
of  the  occasion.  I  propose  to  speak 
of  stage  coaching  in  former  days.  A 
sketch  of  one  driver  and  his  equi- 
page, as  they  appearedon  the  Old  York 
road,  will  serve  for  all  others.'  He 
was  a  man  of  importance  and  sat  on 
the  box,  behind  his  obedient  and  then 
fashionable  bob-tailed  steeds,  with  an 
air  of  self-consequence,  that  rivaled 
the  high  bearing  of  a  marshall  at  the 
head  of  a  military  division.  He  then 
had  no  competitor,  such  as  the  light- 
ning express,  to  subdue  his  pride  or 
make  him  ashamed.  He  carried,  and 
was  the  custodian  of,  the  great  United 
States  mail,  between  New  York  and 
Philadelphia,  and  as  he  swept  along 
through  this  Buckingham  Valley,  fol- 
lowed by  a  cloud  of  dust,  it  was  be- 
neath his  dignity  to  give  an  inch  to 
the  luckless  traveler  who  cha;iced  to 
meet  him.  He  scorned  such  injimc- 
tions  as.  "Turn  to  the  right,  as  the 
law  directs.'' 

"Like  to  the  Pontic  sea. 
Whose   icy   current  and   compulsive   force 
Ne'er  feels   retiring  ebb,  but  keeps  due  on. 
To  the   Propontic  and  the   Hellespont." 


Besides  the  United  States  mail,  he 
had  a  little  private  pouch,  in  which 
many  a  wayside  letter  found  its  clan- 
destine depository.  This  was  long- 
before  the  days  of  stamps  and  one- 
cent  postal  cards.  He  was  ever  ready 
to  execute  errands,  and  carry  mes- 
sages ;  and  was  wont  to  take  compas- 
sion on  a  poor  weary  wanderer,  and 
pick  him  up.  He  had  a  language  pe- 
culiar to  himself.  It  consisted  main- 
ly of  slang  phrases,  or  preposterous 
comparisons,  or  misplaced  words, 
which,  superadded  to  a  natural  vein 
of  humor,  never  failed  to  amuse,  and 
often  provoked  the  laughter  of  the 
passenger  who  sat  by  hi>  side. 
Though  always  quick  at  repartee,  he 
seldom,  if  ever,  made  a  disparaging- 
remark  about  anyone,  or  "set  down 
aught  in  malice."  He  was  rather  ad- 
dicted to  boasting  for  he  wished  to 
impress  his  passengers  with  the  most 
favorable  opinion  of  the  region 
through  which  they  jotirneyed,  and 
likewise  of  its  inhabitants.  If  a  slang- 
word  came  bounding  through  the 
country,  passing"  from  month  to 
mouth,  as  it  often  did,  he  would  catch 
it  up  and  play  upon  it,  till  another 
took  its  place.  His  four-in-hand,  of 
which  he  was  always  proud,  were  us- 
ually well  selected,  and  not  such  as 
the   poet  describes. 

"Poor   sorry  jades, 
That  lob  down  their  heads,  and  hang  their 

hips    and    sides, 
The  gum  down  roping  from  their  pale  dead 
And    in    their    pale,    cold    mouths,    the    gim- 

mal  bit. 


THE    STAGE   COACH    DRIVER 


179 


Hangs    loose    with    chewed    grass,    s.til!    and 

motionless, 
And  their  executors,  the  knavish  crows. 
Flying  o'er  their  heads,  impatient  I'or  their 

hour." 

Mc  had  a  name  for  each  horse.  Af- 
ter a  l)risk  trot  over  the  level,  he 
would  rein  in  at  the  foot  of  a  long" 
hill;  this,  for  instance,  close  at  hand, 
and  sleepily  crawl  to  its  top.  And 
now  while  the  wheels  Avould  grind  the 
jiehhles  beneath  their  slow  revohitions 
with  harsh  grating'  accent,  he  would 
have  a  dialogue  with  his  ])ets.  lie 
would  sometimes  s])eak  to  them  in  a 
patronizing  strain,  all  in  his  peculiar 
jargon,  sometimes  argue  with  them  ; 
and  sometimes  a  refractory  steed 
would  receive  ])aternal  scolding;  and 
he  half  believed  all  knew  exactly  what 
he  said.  If  Snowball  had  chanced  to 
trip  or  shy  at  a  heap  of  stones  on  the 
level,  he  would  receive  a  caution  in 
the  severest  language  to  be  fotind  in 
his  master's  vocabulary.  So  the  dis- 
course would  run  on,  until  the  sum- 
mit of  the  hill  was  reached;  and  then, 
with  an  inclination  of  his  body,  he 
would  let  fly  from  his  whip-stock,  the 
long  lash,  that  reached  high  over  the 
leaders'  heads,  causing  a  report  like 
that  of  a  rifle,  and  making  every 
horse  leap  widly  into  the  air.  But 
presently,  they  w-ould  settle  down  to 
a  uniform  stride.  He  would  pour 
forth  a  volley  of  slang  epithets,  hard- 
ly in  suflficient  good  taste  to  have  a 
]dace  in  a  literary  composition ;  but 
highly  amusing,  when  accompanied 
by  the  manner,  expression  and  utter- 
ances  of  the   spokesman. 

Thus  he  measured  mile  after  mile, 
sometimes  on  the  plain,  and  some- 
times toiling  up  an  ascent,  till  ap- 
proaching    an     inn,     he     would    then 


slacken  pace,  and  allow  a  little  time 
for  his  team  to  take  breath  and  be  re- 
freshed. When  within  a  few  hundred 
yards  of  the  said  inn,  he  wotild  draw 
forth  his  horn,  and  with  sundry 
blasts,  announce  his  coming;  at  the 
same  time  each  horse  would  prick  up 
his  ears  wn'th  delight.  Then  there  was 
running  to  and  fro;  the  hostler,  with 
his  buckets  of  water ;  the  innkeeper, 
hopefully  rushing  behind  the  bar;  the 
loungers  in  greedy  exj^ectation  of  see- 
ing a  crowd  of  strange  faces,  and  the 
famous  tally-ho;  and  the  boys  on  the 
lookout  for  the  great  Jehu  on  the  box, 
who  came  thundering  up  with  renewed 
speed,  and  with  a  freshness  that 
appeared  marvelous,  for  none  knew 
the  preparation  that  had  been  em- 
])loyed  to  attain  it;  the  imposing- 
spectacle,  was  brought  to  a  close  by 
a  sudden  stop  which  made  the  house 
(|uake.  There  was  a  bustle  and  stir 
for  a  time,  as  if  a  new  era  had  dawm- 
ed  upon  the  place;  but  at  length  the 
journey  was  resumed,  and  all  about 
the  inn  subsided  into  its  usual  monot- 
onous quiet.  Though  the  stage-dri- 
ver of  former  days  may  not  be  consid- 
ered of  sul^cent  importance  to  claim 
a  niche  in  history,  still  it  is  not  ])roper 
he  shotild  be  entirely  forgotten,  for  he 
possessed  certain  peculiarities  and 
characteristics,  which  are  not  com- 
mon at  this  time,  and  perhaps,  ere 
long  may  not  be  exhibited  again;  the 
remembrance  of  these  is  retained  by 
fewer  and  fewer  all  the  while.  He 
was  a  jolly  fellow,  and  if  he  had  his 
faults,  let  the  maxim,  "De  mortibus 
nil  nisi  bonum,"  be  applied  10  him. 
.\s  f(^r  the  four-horse  coach,  it  has 
nearly  everywhere  dwindled  into  a 
mere  a])pendage  of  the  railroad. 


ISO 


Dialect  Pleasantries 


The  following  pathetic  poetic  descrip- 
tion of  leaving  the  old  home  along  the 
river  Rhine  for  an  unknown  one  in  Ameri- 
ca was  copied  and  sent  to  this  magazine 
by  C.  W.  Unger,  Pottsville,  Pa. 

Die  Auswanderer 

1.  Jetzt  ist  die  Zeit  und  Stunde  da, 
Jetzt  ziehn  wir  nach  America; 

Die  Wagen  stehn  schon  vor  der  Thiir, 
Mit  Weib  und  Kindern  Ziehen  wir. 

2.  Alle  die  mit  uns  anverwandt 
Geben  uns  zum  letzten  Mai  die  Hand. 
Ihr  Briider,  weinet  nicht  so  sehr, 
Wir   sehn   uns   nun    und   nimmermel.r. 

?,.  Und  wen  das  Schiff  im  Mere  schwimmt, 
So  werden  Lieder  angestimmt. 
Wir  fiirchten  keinen  Waszerfall 
Und  denken:   Gott  ist  iiberall. 

4.  Drum   wendet   euren   triiben   Blick 
Wir  hoffen  auf  ein  beszeres  Gliick. 
Denn  tausend  Seelen  geht  es  gut: 
Dies  trostet  uns  und  macht  uns  Muth. 

5.  Und  als  wir  kamen  vor  Baltimor, 
Da  streckten  wir  die  Hande  empor 
Und   riefen:    auf  Victoria, 

Jetzt  sind  wir  in  America! 

From  Mittler's  "Deutsche  Volkslieder," 
Marburg  and  Leipzig — 1855.  Origin  in 
Hessen  and  Odenwald,  date  unknown. 

*     *     * 
LANOUAGE   LESSON   EXERCISE 

Idioms 

Every  one  acquainted  with  diiferent  lang- 
uages knows  that  idioms  constitute  the 
peculiarities  of  a  language,  and  that,  if  it 
were  not  for  them,  a  language  "-ould  be 
much  more  easily  acquired  or  tr-uislated. 
In  some  instances  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  give  a  faithful  translation  on  account 
of  the  idiomatic  expressions. 

We  subjoin  a  few  of  such  expressions 
frequently  heard  in  German  and  ^a.-Ger- 
man  with  literal  translations  and  also  the 
correct  translations.  These  literal,  very 
awkward  expressions  are  sometimes  heard 
among  the  English,  and  create  much  mer- 
I'iment. 

German :    Ich  bin  vom  Land  und  kaun  mich 

nicht  lange  aufhalten. 
Idiomatic:    I    am    from    the    land,    and    can 

not  hold  myself  long  up. 
English:    I    am   from   the   country    and    can 

not  detain  myself  long. 


Ger:   Zvinde  das  Licht  au. 

Pa.  Ger.:    Steck's  licht  aw. 

Id.:   Stick  the  lamp  on. 

Eng. :    Light  the  lamp. 

Ger.:    Sie  hat    sich    angethan. 

Pa.  Ger.:    Sie  hut  sich  awgedooa. 

Id.  :    She  put  herself  on. 

Eng.:   She  dressed  herself. 

Ger.:   Es  fallt  mir  ein. 

Id.:    It  falls  me  in. 

Eng.:    I  remember   it. 

Ger.:   Es  macht  etwas  herunter. 

Id.:    It  makes  something  down. 

Eng.:    It  rains  or  snows. 

Ger.:   Mach  die  Thiire  zu. 

Id. :   Make  the  door  shut. 

Eng.:    Close  the  door. 

Ger. :   Es  macht  nichts  aus. 

Id.:    It  makes  nothing  out. 

Eng.:   It  does  not  matter. 

Ger.:  Geh  weg,  Oder  ich  schlag  dir  eins  hin. 

P.  G.:,  Ga  week  odder  ich  shlag  dir  ehns  he. 

Id.:   Go  way.  or  I  hit  you  one  on. 

Eng.:    Go  away,  or  you  will  get  a  hit. 

While  some  of  our  readers  will  not  feel 
so  much  interested  in  this  excerise,  we 
feel  sure  that  those  who  are  familiar  with 
German  will  be  pleased  with  it,  and  will 
be  able  to  furnish  a  large  number  of  simi- 
lar expressions. 

4>     •{•     4> 

Mr.H.  W.  Kriebel, 

Received  your  papers  by  yesterday's 
mail.  If  I  can  find  subscribers  for  THE 
PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  will  certainly 
do  so.  Lately  I  found  a  printed  copy 
among  a  pile  of  old  papers  which  recalls 
my  young  days  (65  years  ago)  with  the 
Pennsylvania-German  farmers  in  York  Co., 
Pa.  It  contains  an  account  of  a  day  that 
we  enjoyed  very  much  as  neighbors,  boj^s 
and   girls.      It   reads   as   follows: 

Boll  coomed  de  butcher  tzeit  un  derno 
gebs  metsel-soup  un  brode-  warsht 
Mindsht  du  nuch  as  sell  anes  fun  da  grossa 
dauga  wore  uf  der  boweri  by  uns  boova. 
Consht  du  dich  nuch  ariuera  we  seller 
dawg  ols  cooma  is  we  mere  uns  ols  g'fraid 
hen  far  de  si  fonga  un  saena  es  beef 
sheesa.  Long  far  dawg  morgets  is  ols  der 
daudy  uff  g'shtonna  und  es  fire  unich  em 
kessel  g'shtart  far  de  si  breea.  Anes  noch 
em  onra  sin  de  nuchbera  by  cooma  mit 
oldte  blechne  loddarna.  We's  amohl  hell 
ganunk  worra  is  far  saena  is  es  ons  si 
sheesa  gonga.  Generally  ols  nine  tsu  tzae 
grosse  fette  si  huts  ganome.  About  tza 
uhr    sin   meer    nows    g'shicked    worra    far's 


DIALECT  PLEASANTRIES 


181 


beef  ous  em  shtoll  driva  far  dot  maucha. 
Wos  is  ols  unser  hartz  gajumpt  bis  es  ga- 
groched  hut  iin's  rinsfee  umgabatzeled  is. 
Eb  middawg  hut  de  chopper-machine  aufon- 
ga  glebbra  un  es  warsht  filsel  is  aufonga  in 
der  tzuvver  ruUa.  Es  flaish  far  de  lever- 
warsht  hut  im  kessel  ga-kuched  un  was 
hen  meer  duch  ols  si  neera  g'essa  un 
gronk  worra  da  von.  Im  numy-dawg, 
about  tier  uhr  is  es  warsht  stuffa  awgonga 
un  sell  hen  meer  ols  about  es  mensth  en- 
joyed ,fun  ebbes,  awver  about  selly  tzeit 
huts  ghaesa  boova  gaed  und  doot  eir 
fe'ederes.  Meer  hen  net  g'wart  far  es 
tswet  mahl  ghaesa  wara  un  hen  aw  net 
long  tzurich  ga-mow!ed  we  de  boova  heitzu 
dawgs.  Em  dawdy  si  shtiffel  wora  ous 
harnish-ledder  ,  g'maucht  un  hen  em 
usht  shae  g'fit  unich  dar  ruck-fligel.  Uff 
em  wake  nows  nuch  der  shire  saena  meer 
de  schwortz  kotz  uff  em  beef  wompe  hucka 
un  dra  fressa.  Die  hinkle  shtaera  room 
uff  ame  bae  un  worda  far  era  welshkarn. 
Der  si-shtoll  is  lahr  un  dar  hoond  hucked 
hinna  draw  un  frest  om  beef  kup.  Bis  mer 
unser  hoy  shtrow  un  welshkarn  fooder 
rnunnar  g'shimissa  hen  g'hot,  de  gile  ga- 
drenked  un's  fee  g'feedered.  un  oUa  ga-but 
anes  obgefuchta,  don  wor  der  g'shposs  so 
tzimlich-ivver  un  es  nocht-essa  wore, 
reddy.  Brode-warsht,  lever-warsht,  roon- 
da  kichline  un  ebbel-boi  uf  em  dish  un 
afange  esse.  Un  derno  is  es  g'schwetz  aw- 
gonga. "Du,  bust  de  warsht  tzimlich  goot 
ga-druffa."  Yaw,  awver  se  hen  blendy 
sols  "Ich  mane  se  hetta  awenich  mae  kai- 
yonner  hovva  kenna."  Un  so  gaeds  um  dar 
dish  room.  Yaders  hut  sei-sixpeuce  tsu- 
gevve  un  gli  is  der  dawg  farivver;  der 
dawg  woo  meer  uns  shunt  long  g'fraid 
hen  druff.  Woo  wore  nun  der  g'shposs? 
Mer  con  en  yetz  net  saena.  Un  duch  wore 
der  butcher-dawg  anes  fun  dar  grossa 
dawga  im  yohr  uff  der  boweri. 
Yours  truly 

A  SUBSCRIBER. 
York,   Pa. 


NOTE. — The-  following  lines  were  sub 
luitted  by  a  subscriber  in  response  to  a 
note  on  page  28  of  the  .January  PENNSYL- 
VANIA-GERMAN. We  are  curious  ',o  know 
whether  the  words  are  familiar  to  other 
subscribers.  If  yen  have  heard  the  lines  at 
any  time  let  us  know. 

Befell  I  am  Feuerheerd 

Sally  nemm  des  Kind  do  week, 

Setz  es  net  grad  in  der   Dreck. 

Sam   du    bist   stark   und   gross, 

Trag  sell  Stofft  dort  in  die  Stross; 

Betz  geb  acht  vershiit  ken  Briih. 

Dann  geh  grad  und  hoi  die  kiih. 

Der  Hund   der  blafft,  es  kommt  Besuch. 

Sis  en  Man  mit  einem  Buch. 

Betz  nan  schleich  mir  net  so  faul, 

Wasch    dom    Kind    seiu    drekig    Maul. 

Nemm   die   Hafen   aus   dem   Weg, 

Stell    sie    auf   die   Keller   Steg. 

Nch  wiisch  du  die  Kaffekann, 

Schlag  die  Ayer  in  die  Pann, 

Mach    des    Supper    schnell    und    gut. 

Sell   ist   was   die  Buben   suht. 

Du   musst  erst  lernen  Bief  zu  braden 

Dan  magst  due  den  Pit  heirathen. 

4"    4*     * 

Conversation  after  a  "Dutchman"  had 
had  a  severe  fall. 

Bisht  nunner  g'falla? 

Gewisz  net  nuff, 

Husht  d'r  weh   geduh? 

Gewisz  net  gut. 

Soil  ich  der  Dockter  hola? 

Gewisz  net  der  Butcher. 

4"    4*     * 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Hereford  Literary 
Society,  a  hog  "ring"  was  dropped  into  the 
collection  basket.  Rev.  S.  a  member  on 
seeing  this  said — Die  Sau  wu  den  Ring 
ferlora  hut  kann  vor  kumma;  no  kenna 
mer  sie  ringa. 


The  Home  Miscellany 


782,870    IMMIGRAMS    IN    LAST     FISCAL 
TEAR 

Washington,  Jan.  10. — As  shown  by  the 
annual  report  of  the  Commissioner  Gen- 
eral of  immigration  for  the  fiscal  year 
ended  June  30,  1908,  the  work  of  the  bu- 
reau increased  20  per  cent.,  despice  a  de- 
crease  of   39   per   cent,    in   immigration. 

The  total  immigration  was  782,870,  or 
502,479  less  than  for  1907.  During  the  fis- 
cal year  of  1907  13,064  aliens  were  re- 
jected; during  the  last  year  10,902  were  re- 
jected. 


The  report  gives  for  the  first  time  the 
net  increase  in  population  by  Immigration. 
The  figures  indicate  that  the  net  increase 
was  209,867.  Of  the  aliens  admitted  630.- 
671  were  between  the  ages  of  14  and  44 
years;  172,  293  could  neither  read  nor 
write,  and  2310  could  read,  but  not  write. 
Therefore,  about  26  per  cent,  were  illiter- 
ate, a  decrease  of  4  per  cent,  in  comparison 
with  1907. 

The  total  amount  of  money  brought  by 
inimigrants   was  $17,794,226.  an  average  of 


IS2 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


RUSSIA   SENDS   64   PER  CENT. 

The  majority  came  from  southern  or 
eastern  Europe — Italy,  Austria-Hungary, 
Greece,  Turkey  and  the  small  principali- 
ties surrounding  them.  Russia  furnished 
64  per  cent,  of  the  total. 

During  the  year  2906  aliens  were  reject- 
ed on  account  of  physical,  370  on  account 
of  mental  and  311  on  account  of  moral  de- 
lects; to  which  should  be  added  870  re- 
jected for  minor  physical  or  mental  defects 
sufficiently  grave  to  affect  ability  to  earn 
a  living. 

The  number  of  criminals  apprehended 
and  deported  increased  from  11  in  1907  to 
41  in  1908.  Two  anarchists  were  refused 
admission. 

There  was  great  activity  in  the  suppres- 
sion of  the  importation  of  women  for  im- 
moral purposes;  124  were  rejected,  43  pro- 
curers were  denied  admission,  44  women 
and  two  procurers  were  deported,  14  pro- 
curers were  convicted  and  sentenced  to 
terms  of  imprisonment  and  fined.  While 
investigations  into  the  "white  slave"  traffic 
are  difficult,  the  success  attendant  upon 
them  has  been  satisfactory. 

The  report  shows  that  1932  contract  la- 
borers were  rejected  and  240  were  arrest- 
ed and  expelled  from  the  country. 

EXCLUSION    OF    ORIENTALS 

The  report  expresses  gratification  with 
what  has  been  accomplished  in  enforcing 
the  President's  proclamation  directing  the 
exclusion  of  Japanese  and  Korean  labor- 
ers who  used  passports  to  Hawaii,  Can- 
ada or  Mexico,  to  enter  the  United  States 
contrary  to  the  wishes  of  their  ov,/n  gov- 
ernments, while  31,798  Japanese  applied 
for  admission  in  1907,  there  were  in  1908 
only  18,941,  of  whom  18,238  were  admitted. 
The  total  increase  in  population  by  Jap- 
anese immigration  was   3826. 

The  report  indicates  inadequacy  of  the 
law  to  accomplish  the  exclusion  of  Chi- 
nese who  are  barred  by  statute.  The 
smuggling  of  Chinese  goes  on.  Of  the 
Chinese  arrested  89  per  cent,  were  taken 
into  custody  at  boundaries. 

The  report  urges  the  Government  to  take 
effective  means  to  prevent  congestion  in 
cities.  More  than  32  per  cent,  of  arriving 
aliens  were  destined  to  New  York,  14  per 
cent,  to  Pennsylvania,  7  per  cent,  each  to 
Illinois  and  Massachusetts  and  4  per  cent, 
to  New  Jersey.  It  is  pointed  out  that  some 
of  the  States,  particularly  in  the  South  and 
West  are  vitally  interested  in  obtaining 
settlers. 

WOULD   SCATTER   SETTLERS 

It  is  recommended  that  Congress  author- 
ize the  extension  of  the  work  of  the  Divis- 
ion of  information,  so  that  immigrants  may 
have  definite  information  concerning  var- 
ious   desirable    localities,    to    the    end     that 


they  may  locate  in  such  places  as  will  af- 
ford them  prompt  and  remunerative  em- 
ployment. 

Every  effort  has  been  made  by  the  Di- 
vision of  Naturalization  not  only  to  elimi- 
nate fraud  from  the  naturalization  of  aliens 
but  to  obtain  absolute  compliance  '.vith  the 
law.  Co-operation  has  been  effected  with 
the  United  States  courts.  It  is  recommend- 
ed that  a  sufficient  appropriation  be  made 
to  organize  a  corps  of  examiners,  and  that 
the  fees  allowed  clerks  of  courts  be  in- 
creased to  afford  them  adequate  compensa- 
tion for  their  labor. 

Through  the  work  of  this  division  the 
Government  has  complete  records  of  all 
applications  for  naturalization  papers,  and 
a  complete  record  of  the  reasons  for  the 
acceptance  or  rejection  of  applications. 
— Philadelphia  Ledger. 

*    4*     * 

Switzerland's  Divorce  Remedy 

— Here  is  an  effective  cure  for  divorce: 
Centuries  ago  the  civil  court  of  Zurich  in 
Switzerland  applied  a  means  to  prevent 
divorce  suits  which  might  be  imitated  in 
our  divorceful  country.  When  a  couple 
asked  to  be  separated  by  legal  action  on 
account  of  incompatibility,  the  court  or- 
dered them  to  be  shut  up  in  a  lonely  tower 
on  the  lake.  Here  they  had  to  live  to- 
gether for  two  weeks  in  a  small  room,  the 
furniture  of  which  consisted  of  a  narrow 
bed,  a  small  table  and  a  chair.  The  two 
were  given  only  one  table  knife  and  fork 
and  their  plain  food  was  brought  in  on  one 
dish.  If  they  at  the  end  of  their  confine- 
ment in  the  tower,  persisted  in  their  deter- 
mination to  be  put  asunder,  divorce  was 
granted.  As  a  rule  the  cure  for  divorcitis 
was  effective  within  a  week  and  the  pa- 
tients begged  the  court  for  release.  Put 
the  ban  on  divorce;  cease  to  make  it  re- 
spectable. From  1887  to  1906  there  were 
945,625  divorces  in  the  United  States.  At 
present  divorces  are  increasing  three  times 
as  fast  as  the  population.  Why  not  try  the 
old   Swiss  "water"  cure? 

*     4*     + 

Scotland's  Patrou  Saint 

Why  was  St.  Andrew  chosen  as  the 
patron  saint  of  Scotland?  This  question 
has  been  asked  many  times,  but  the  ai'ch- 
deacon  of  whom  Dean  Hole  tells  may  be 
considered  to  have  discoverd  the  most 
satisfactory  solution  of  the  problem. 
"Gentlemen,"  said  he  (he  was  speaking  at 
a  St.  Andrew's  day  banquet  at  the  time), 
"I  have  given  this  difficult  subject  my 
thoughtful  consideration,  and  I  have  come 
to  the  conclusion  that  St.  Andrew  was 
chosen  to  be  the  patron  saint  of  Scotland 
because  he  discovered  the  lad  who  had  the 
loaves  and  fishes." 


183 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT 


The  Pennsylvania-German 

An  illustrated  monthly  magazine  devoted  to 
the  Biography,  History,  Genealogy,  Folklore, 
Literature  and  General  Interests  of  German 
and  Swiss  settlers  in  Pennsylvania  and  other 
States  and  of  their  descendants. 

Editorial  Staff 
H.  W.  Kriebel,  Editor,  Lititz,  Pa. 
Prof.  E.  S.  Gerhard,  Editor  of  "Reviews 
and  Notes,"  Trenton,  N.  J. 

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er,  Vice  President ;  J.  H.  ZooK,  Secretary  ; 
Dr.  J.  L.  Hertz,  Treasurer. 


Address  all  communications.    The  Pennsyl- 
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Articles  of  Agreement  between  the  under- 
signed have  been  entered  into  by  tlie  terms 
of  which  the  Express  Printing  Company 
(Incorporated  under  the  laws  of  Pennsyl- 
vania) become  the  publishers  of  THE 
PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  under  the  edi- 
torshij)  of  H.  W.  Kriebel. 

The  editor  feels  happy  in  thus  being  en- 
abled to  carry  out  a  project  he  has  had  un- 
der contemplation  for  some  time  believing 
that  the  change  will  afford  an  economy 
efficiency  and  expedition  of  administration 
not  otherwise  attainable. 

This  business  arrangement  will  not  affect 
the  editorial  policy  of  the  magazine,  each 
party  of  the  agreement  being  desirous  of 
following  the  precedent  set  and  of  making 
THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  ntore  in- 
teresting, serviceable  and  valuable  in  its 
chosen  field. 

To  this  end  the  May  issue  will  contain  a 
number   of   special    contributions   including; 

1.  The  Mournful  Ballad  of  Susanna  Cox. 
executed  at  Reading.  Pa.,  in  1800  for  in- 
fanticide. This  is  an  original  English  ver- 
sion in  which  the  peculiarities  of  the  Ger- 
man  ballad   are  carefully   preserved. 

2.  Short  Historic  Sketches  of  Lititz  and 
Lancaster  County. 

3.  A  paper  on  the  spelling  of  th"  dialect 
with  a  list  of  the  letters  and  letter  combi- 
nations of  the  alphabet,  with  their  sound 
values  expressed  in  the  iihonetic  notation  of 
Paul      Passy     adopted     by    the    Association 


Phonetique  Internationale,  and  employed 
by  Di-.  Victor  in  his  German  Pronuncia- 
tion. 

4.  An  offer  to  reprint  the  back  numbers 
of   THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN. 

Providing  sufficient  advance  orders  are 
received  the  nine  complete  volumes  of  the 
magazine  will  be  republished  in  bound 
form. 

5.  A  paper  on  the  organization  of  clubs 
among  readers  of  the  magazine.  So  much 
interest  has  been  expressed  in  the  club 
idea  by  subscribers  that  we  feel  morally 
certain  that  many  will  be  organized  after 
the  matter  is  taken  up  by  our  readers. 

The  naming  of  these  features  is  sufficient 
to  prove  the  value  of  the  May  issue.  We 
believe  the  number  will  mark  thi  begin- 
ning of  a  new  epoch  in  the  histor.v  of  the 
Magazine  and  in  the  study  of  the  German 
element  iu  our  country. 

The  editor  takes  advantage  of  this  oppor- 
tunity to  express  the  hope  that  the  many 
courtesies  and  favors  hitherto  shown  by 
subscribers,  i)ublishers,  editors,  contribu- 
tors and  friends  may  be  continued  and 
invites  all  to  call  at  the  Editorial  Sanctum 
of  The  Express  Printing  Company  where 
he  hopes  to  toil  and  serve. 

THE   EXPRESS   PRINTING   CO., 
H.  W.  KRIEBEL. 

Lititz.  Pa. 


184 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  Associate  Editor  regrets  Ihat  the 
"hopes"  expressed  in  editorial  of  the  Feb- 
ruary issue  is  not  realized  and  that  his 
health  will  not  permit  him  to  continue  to 
do  the  amount  of  work  required  for  this 
magazine.  He  is  pleased  that  the  editor 
and  publisher  have  been  able  to  make 
other  arrangements,  so  as  to  be  relieved 
from  too  much  in-door  work. 


How  to  search  for  material  for  the  his- 
torian was  indicated  in  the  March  issue  of 
THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN.  A  few 
of  the  many  topics  of  interest  and  facts 
necessary  in  this  line  of  investigation  were 
also  suggested  in  the  same  and  other  arti- 
cles of  this  magazine.  Whatever  any  one 
can  find  that  will  throw  light  on  the  his- 
tory of  the  Pennsylvania-Germans,  and 
their  descendants  on  either  the  father's  or 
mqther's  side  will  be  of  interest  to  some  of 
the  readers  and  to  the  diligent  historian. 

Everything  that  has  any  bearing  on  their 
past  history,  character,  condition  and 
achievements  will  be  welcome  for  publica- 
tion. All  that  can  be  interested  to  co- 
operate with  those  at  work  for  this  month- 
ly are  asked  to  help  gather  and  arrange 
stories,  facts  or  traditions  and  thi:s  bring 
out  the  language  and  literature  of  our  Ger- 
man and  Pennsylvania-German  ancestors, 
as  well  as  that  of  their  descendants  of  the 
present  generation. 

To  carry  out  the  task  which  this  maga- 
zine has  set  for  itself,  it  will  sometimes 
be  necessary  to  go  across  the  Atlantic  to 
the  land  of  our  forefathers  for  material,  to 
search  for  the  causes  and  reasons  for  their 
leaving  old  homes  and  coming  to  a  wilder- 
ness country  with  wives  and  children  to 
found  new  homes.  It  will  require  us  to 
follow  them  on  the  slow-sailing,  storm 
tossed  ships  to  Penns  Province,  to  the 
Hudson  and  Schoharie  valleys  and  even  to 
the  Province  of  Georgia,  to  their  forest- 
surrounded  homes.  Thus  we  will  see  their 
Christian  home-life,  their  labors  and  suf- 
ferings,   their   joys    and    sorrows.    Later    we 


will  be  with  them  at  their  marriages,  in 
the  sick  room,  at  the  funeral  and  go  to  the 
school  houses,  churches,  places  of  worship 
and  burial. 

In  outliniiag  the  purposes  of  this  maga- 
zine we  will  not  fail  to  record  the  think- 
ings and  doings  of  their  grateful  descen- 
dants down  to  the  present,  so  as  to  give  as 
full  and  accurate  history  as  possible.  Nor 
will  the  columns  of  this  periodical  only 
contain  the  history  of  the  Pennsylvania- 
G'ermans  residing  in  this  state,  but  of  their 
descendants  in  every  state  and  country  on 
the  globe.  This  will  not  be  done  to  ignore, 
disparage  or  entirely  exclude  those  of 
other  nationalities,  but  in  order  to  set 
forth  and  record  the  claims  and  pai't  Ger- 
mans and  their  descendants  have  in  making 
everyday  American  history. 


When  this  magazine  appears  it  is  pi'o- 
voking  to  the  editors  and  the  authors  of 
articles,  and  no  doubt  also  to  the  type-set- 
ters and  printers  when  they  see  any  errors 
on  its  pages.  Some  one  is  responsible  for 
the  mistakes,  but  each  one  is  inclined  to 
l)ut  the  blame  on  another  as  Adam  and 
Eve  did. 

However,  it  is  no  wonder  that  there  are 
sometimes  mistakes  when  the  copy  can 
hardly  be  read  by  anyone  but  the  writer. 
But  there  is  no  excuse  when  there  is  good 
type  written  copy  or  legible  penmanship, 
nor  for  getting  the  type  and  headings  mix- 
ed in  making  up  the  Forms,  dropping  let- 
ters in  names  of  authors,  misspelling  titles 
of  articles  when  the  copy  has  them  correct. 

In  March  number  page  122  D.  Nicholas 
Shaeffer  is  Schaeffer  in  copy  and  page  126 
.Johannes  Early  is  Oehrle;  page  140  Join- 
ville  should  read  Jumonville  not  Jornville. 
as  the  corrections  had  it,  "the  name  is 
printed  Hallenbach  twice"  instead  as  given 
there.  And  page  142  "The  Historians'  .An- 
nual meeting"  should  have  been  placed  on 
next  page,  and  "The  Bucks  County  Histori- 
cal Society"  transferred  to  the  former's 
place,  that  is,  those  two  headings  ought  to 
be   transposed. 


Inforniatioii  Wanted 

Mr.  S.  S.  Flory,  Bangor,  Pa.,  being  en- 
gaged in  collecting  material  for  a  history 
of  the  Flory  or  Fleury  family  invites  cor- 
respondence from  any  persons  in  position 
to    give  information   about  the  family. 3-4-5- 

Years  ago  a  teamster  in  driving  along 
the  road  from  Clayton  to  Huff's  Church. 
Berks  Co.,  Pa.,  through  "Deivel's  Loch" 
got  stuck  in  the  mud.  With  sleeves  rolled 
up  he  toiled  hard,  but  in  vain,  to  free  his 
mired  wheels.  Pennsylvania-German  far- 
mers who  came  along  to  assist  were  asked 


to  get  a  jack  screw  but  failed  to  under- 
stand what  was  meant.  A  happy  idea 
struck  the  farmers;  the  well  known  country 
'squiye.  living  in  the  vicinity,  was  called. 
In  his  dignity  and  superior  wisdom  he 
came  and  thus  addressed  his  neighbors  in 
the  dialect:  "How  often  have  I  invited  the 
neighborhood  to  assemble  in  the  school 
house  and  I  would  teach  you  some  English 
but  ye  would  not."  On  being  informed 
that  a  jack  screw  was  wanted  he  con- 
tinued: "You  dunces!  he  wants  soap  and 
water  to  wash  his  hands  so  that  he  can 
take  hold  of  the  lines  again." 


185 


Clippings  from  Current  News 


— Ellis  Paxson  Oberholtzer,  Ph.  D.,  has 
undertaken  for  the  J.  S.  Clarke  Publishing 
Company  the  preparation  of  the  material 
and  the  writing  of  "Philadelphia — A  His- 
tory of  the  City  and  Its  People — A  Record 
of  225  Years."  And  it  will  be  divided  into 
thirteen  main  divisions:  1,  Dutch  and 
Swedes,  1616-1674;  2,  The  English  Before 
Penn,  1674-1681;  3,  The  Penn  Government, 
1681-1718;  4,  Under  the  Penn  family;  5,  the 
Revolution,  1776-1784;  6,  Under  the  Con- 
federation; 7,  the  First  Years  of  the  Con- 
federation; 7,  The  War  of  1812;  9,  Years  of 
Peace;  10,  Consolidation;  11,  Civil  War; 
12.  The  Centennial,  and  13,  Close  of  the 
Nineteenth  Century.  The  author's  aim  will 
be  to  do  for  Philadelphia  what  Green  did 
for  the  English  people  in  his  London  work, 
and  what  McMaster  is  doing  on  a  more  ex- 
tended   scale   for   the   United   States. 

Early  Pittsburgh  was  not  especially  not- 
ed for  its  piety,  being  at  first  an  army 
camp,  and  having  among  its  scanty  popu- 
lation many  retired,  or  otherwise  tired 
warriors,  the  reputation  seemed  to  lie 
strongly  in  the  direction  of  excesses.  Up 
to  1784,  it  is  said,  the  town  did  not  have  a 
church  or  priest.  Pittsburgh  was  originally 
settled  by  the  Scotch-Irish  and  as  a  re- 
sult the  Presbyterian  system  of  faith  has 
always  had  a  strong  following.  Other 
parts  of  Allegheny  county  had  church  ser- 
vices earlier,  but  in  1784  the  Pittsburg 
Presbytery  requested  help  from  the  Red- 
stone Presbytery  (Brownsville  neighbor- 
hood) and  in  1787  built  a  church.  The 
Reformed  Presbyterian  organized  in  1799, 
with  the  Rev.  John  Black,  of  Ireland,  the 
first  pastor.  The  Episcopal  Church  had  a 
regular  organization  in  1805.  The  first 
Baptist  church  in  the  city  was  organized 
1812,  but  other  organization^  were  in  exist- 
ence outside  the  city,  in  Greene  county,  as 
early  as  1770.  and  the  Methodists  had  their 
first  sermon  in  1785,  while  the  Disciples 
established  their  first  church  in  Allegheny 
in  1835.  The  earliest  religious  services 
were  conducted  by  one  Father  Bonnicamp, 
a  French  .lesuit  priest,  about  the  year  1749, 
and  not  until  1784  was  there  a  concerted 
action  taken  by  the  Roman  Catholic  resi- 
dents to  secure  occasional  services  for 
their  church. — The   Lutheran. 

— The  year  1909  is  a  year  of  Centennials. 
It  calls  our  attention  to  two  great  states- 
men, Lincoln  and  Gladstone;  the  scientist 
Darwin;  three  great  authors.  Tennyson, 
Holmes  and  Poe;  and  two  great  musicians. 
Chcpin,  whose  field  was  the  piano  and 
who  was  here  a  master  among  masteis, 
and     .Mendelssohn.  Both     have     suffered 


many  things  at  the  hands  of  young  i)ian- 
ists.  but  have  survived  these  crude  inter- 
pretations. Paderewski  has  brought  out 
the  subtlety  and  power  of  Chopin's  mys- 
terious expression,  and  many  of  our  read- 
ers had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  Mendels- 
sohn's Elijah  finely  interpreted  by  Prof. 
C.  A.  Marks  and  the  Allentown  Choral 
Society,    because    thoughtfully    rendered. 

Our  musical  debt  to  the  Nineteenth  Cen- 
tury is  not  complete  until  we  have  added 
the  names  of  the  great  masters,  Beethoven, 
Brahms,  Schuman,  Schubert  and  Wagner. 
And  just  as  the  more  familiar  names  at- 
tached to  our  hymn-tunes  ewe  much  of 
their  inspiration  to  these,  so  these  masters 
sat  al  the  feet  of  a  greater. — J.  W.  R.  in 
The  Lutheran. 

— While  centennials  of  the  births  of 
great  men  are  being  celebrated  in  1909,  it 
should  not  be  forgotten  by  Lutherans  that 
two  centuries  ago  the  stream  of  immigra- 
tion which  means  so  much  to  our  Church 
in  America  first  began  to  flow,  at  least  in 
appreciable  volume.  The  first  band  con- 
sisted of  57  souls,  mostly  from  the  Pala- 
tinate, with  Pastor  Joshua  Kocheithal  as 
their  spiritual  leader,  and  the  place  where 
they  settled  was  where  Newburgh  N.  Y.  now 
is.  They  came  from  a  section  devastated  by 
war,  and  it  was  to  Queen  Anne  of  Eng- 
land that  they  owed  a  lasting  debt  cf  grat- 
itude. Through  her  kindly  interest,  ;i 
free  voyage  across  the  sea  was  granted 
them  and  a  grant  of  2190  acres  of  land. 
Nor  did  her  generosity  stoj)  here.  She  sup- 
plied them  not  only  with  seed  and  farming 
implements,  but  with  sustenance  for  a 
year.  And  as  if  to  teach  succeeding  gen- 
erations how  tc  care  for  spiritual  shep- 
herds. Pastor  Kocherthal  was  granted  $100 
and  500  acres  of  land  for  his  support. 
From  this  hi.mblf  beginning  the  stream  of 
German  immigration  has  widened  and 
deepened  until  toda:'  there  are  probably 
not  less  than  20,000,000  Americans  in 
whose  veins  flow  German  blood — more  by 
a  large  margin  than  of  any  other  single 
nationality.  That  is  why  America  is  to- 
day more  German  than  Anglo-Saxon. — The 
Lutheran. 

— -Everyi  ne  interested  in  the  pieserva- 
tion  of  historic  s|)ots  associated  with  the 
Revolutionary  struggle  hopes  for  the 
I)assage  of  the  bjU  which  Representative 
Ambler,  of  Montgomery  county,  has  intro- 
duced in  the  State  Legislature  for  the  pur- 
chase of  the  site  of  the  Revolutionary 
Army's  camp-ground  in  While  marsh 
township.  The  principal  relics  of  'hat  en- 
campnient    ;ire    the   old    fort    and    the    build- 


186 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


iag  in  which  Washington  had  his  head- 
quarters, both  situated  near  the  village  of 
Fort  Washington,  a  short  distance  above 
Chestnut  Hill.  The  plan  is  to  convert  this 
tract  into  a  State  Park. 

The  Valley  Forge  campground,  neglected 
for  many  years,  is  now  owned  by  the 
State  and  forms  a  beautiful  park  of  sev- 
eral hundred  acres.  But  most  of  the  other 
sites  connected  with  Washington's  cam- 
paign in  Pennsylvania  in  1777  depend  for 
preservation  upon  the  generous  patriotism 
of   private   owners. 

Various  attempts  to  have  the  State  or 
the  Nation  acquire  the  Brandy  wine  battle- 
field, and  the  scene  of  the  Paoli  conflict, 
have  proved  fruitless;  but  at  both  places, 
as  well  as  at  the  site  of  the  encampment 
on  the  Perkiomen,  at  Pennypacker's  Mills, 
monuments  have  been  reared  through  the 
efforts   of   societies    and    individuals.     * 

The  Germantown  battlefield,  being  now 
part  of  the  built-up  town,  cannot  become 
a  State  Park,  but  steps  could  be  taken  to 
mark  the  various  places  where  important 
features  of  the  battle  occurred.  The  other 
Revolutionary  sites  to  which  allusion  has 
])een  made  consist  of  farm  land  and  are 
thus  available  for  purchase  and  preserva- 
tion as  public  property.  —  Independent 
Gazette. 

To  sum  up  important  particulars:  Penn- 
sylvania is  today  first  of  all  the  States  in 
the  production  of  iron  and  steel,  coal  and 
coke  and  carpets  and  rugs,  and  probably 
first  of  all  in  the  manufacture  of  silk.  In 
1900  it  was  second  in  the  manufacture  of 
wollen  products  and  in  the  total  value  of 
all  textile  products,  fourth  in  the  produc- 
tion of  lumber  and  all  kinds  of  paper,  and 
second  in  the  production  of  chemicals..  It 
has  long  been  first  in  the  production  of 
leather  and  in  the  manufacture  of  glass. 
It  has  lost  its  early  leadership  in  the  pro- 
duction of  petroleum,  but  it  is  first  in  the 
production  of  natural  gas.  It  is  first  in  the 
production  of  Portland  cement  and  in  the 
manufacture  of  fire  brick  and  tiles,  and 
it  is  fourth  in  the  manufacture  of  pottery. 
It  leads  all  states  in  the  production  of  roof- 
ing slate  and  limestone  and  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  locomotives,  railroad  cars,  and 
saws,  and  it  is  the  only  state  that  makes 
armor  plate.  It  is  now  third  in  iron  and 
steel  shipbuilding,  not  including  Govern- 
ment vessels,  Michigan  being  first  and  Ohio 
second.  In  the  annual  value  of  many  farm 
products  it  is  either  first  or  closely  follows 
other   States. 

From  Swank's.  Progressive  Peniisjl- 
\  aiiia. 


Ciermaiiy's  Industrial  Insurance 

The  radical  difference  between  the  Ger- 
man insurance  and  pension  laws  and  the 
British  old  age  pension  scheme  is  that  the 
former  are  based  upon  the  principle  of  co- 
operation, the  beneficiaries  contributing 
toward  the  funds  while  in  the  case  of 
Great  Britain  the  entire  burden  falls  upon 
the  general  revenues,  and  there  is  not  the 
same  inducement  to  thrift  and  economy 
upon  the  part  of  the  working  people.  In 
Germany  the  entire  cost  of  the  accident 
insurance  falls  upon  the  employers  of 
labor,  who  also  pay  one-third  of  the  cost 
of  sickness  insurance — the  remaining  two- 
thirds  being  provided  by  the  employes. 
The  expenses  of  the  invalid  and  old  age 
pensions  are  equally  divided  between  the 
employers  and  the  employes,'  the  State 
making  a  substantial  annual  contribution 
to  each  pension  granted.  While  participa- 
tion in  these  insurance  systems  is  compul- 
sory on  the  part  of  the  classes  to  whom 
they  apply,  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  or 
discourage  voluntary  insurance,  and  the 
provident  and  careful  among  the  German 
working  people  quite  generally  supplement 
the  compulsory  insurance  with  that  of  their 
own  societies  and  mutual  aid  organiza- 
tions. 

Statistics  will  show  the  magnitude  of  the 
system  and  its  popularity.  In  1905  there 
were  11,900,000  working  people  of  all 
classes  insured  against  sickness  and  up- 
ward of  $69,300,000   was  paid  in  benefits. 

— Public   Ledger. 

— The  late  Hon.  Diedrich  WiUers.  of 
Varick,  Seneca  county,  N.  Y.,  bequeathed 
to  Central  Theological  Seminary.  Dayton. 
Ohio,  a  number  of  valuable  books,  manu- 
scripts and  skeletons  of  sermons,  former- 
ly owned  by  his  father,  the  late  Rev.  Died- 
rich Willers,  D.D.,  who  officiated  as  a 
minister  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  Seneca 
county,  N.  Y.,  .for  a  period  of  sixty  years 
and  nine  months.  Many  of  the  books  are 
printed  in  the  German,  Latin  and  Greek 
languages,  and  are  of  ancient  date. — Re- 
formed Church  Record. 

Marion  Dexter  Learned.  Professor  of 
German  at  the  University  of  Penn'a  sailed 
for  Europe  on  Feb.  27th.  He  is  commis- 
sioned by  the  Carnegie  Institute.  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  to  investigate  the  sources  of 
American  history  in  German  libraries  and 
archives.  The  scope  of  the  work  is  a  vast 
one.  Prof.  Learned  secured  a  leave  of  ab- 
sence for  six  months:  he  expects  to  return 
some  time  in  October. 


The  Joker's  Page 


187 


What   Hliinders   Iiiexperieiioc   Causes 

Some  inexperienced  farmer  boys  went  to 
a  neighboring  town  and  took  dinner  at  one 
of  the  leading  hotels.  The  one  at  the  end 
of  the  dining  table  was  approached  by  the 
waiter  with  the  question:  "Do  you  want  a 
napkin?"  After  hesitating  he  replied  "'Yes 
Sir,  Wann  die  annere  es  essa  kenne  kann 
ich  aul    (If  the  others  can  eat  it  I  can.) 

*  *     * 

'Manda    S ,    a    country    girl    wishing 

to  inform  a  visitor  that  her  father  was  at 
the  dinner  table,  and  her  mother  had  near- 
ly finished  her  meal  said:  "  Pop's  on  the 
table,  and  Mom's  half  et." 

*  4*     * 

The  following  incident  occurred  at  a 
vendue  near  Lebanon.  Pa.  The  boisterous 
and  voluble  auctioneer  was  disposing  of 
the  household  utensils.  It  was  his  custom 
in  order  to  hold  the  attention  of  the  crowd, 
to  crack  a  harmless  joke  at  some  one's 
expense,  or  otherwise  interpose  a  little 
nonsense.  In  the  course  of  his  harangue, 
he  picked  up  a  sugar-scoop.  "Now,"  he 
rattled  on  glibly,  "here  we  have  such  a 
scoop.  What  can  I  hear  for  it.  Start  'em 
up  some  body.  Do  kenna  mir  by  chinks! 
soup  fressa,"  and  suiting  his  actioa  to  his 
words,  raised  the  scoop  to  his  lips  where- 
upon the  village  wag  on  the  edge  of  the 
crowd  yelled  out,  'Ya!  es  fit  aw  zu  deim 
maul!" 

•ft    4.    •{• 

In  the  fifties,  just  before  the  war,  it  was 
the  custom  for  the  night  watchman  or 
l)oliceman  to  call  out  the  hour  and  the 
state   of  the   weather.       It   is   related   of   a 

certain  •  John  N ,  on  duty  one  night 

in  Reading  Pa.,  bawled  out:  '"Twelf-o-glock. 
All's  well — Makes  something  down  like  a 
drizzle." 

4«    •!•    4» 

The   Luck   of   Left-Handediiess 

Of  all  "anti-lean"  systems  prescribed  by 
))sysician  or  quack,  perhaps  none  is  so  cur- 
ious as  that  cited  by  Martin  Welker  in  an 
article  Avritten  for  the  Western  Reserve 
Historical  Society  on  "Life  in  Central  Ohio 
Sixty  Years  Ago."  The  story  also  goes  to 
prove  that  in  left-handedness  there  may  be 
an  advantage  unexplained  by  i)sychological 
research.  The  expounder  and  example  of 
the  diet  theory  was  an  old  settler,  one  of 
a  large  family  of  children,  who  grew  up  to 
be  a  very  stout  man,  while  the  others  were 
small   and  thin. 

The  big  iron  pot  which  hung  on  the 
crane  cooked  the  mush  for  the  family.  It 
was  a  usual  thing  to  see  the  children,  with 
their  cups  and  si)oons.  seated  all  round  the 
mush  pot  on  the  hearth,  helping  themselves 
to  their  supper. 

The  old  settler  used  to  explain  his  plump 
condition  in  this  w-ay:    when  he  was  a  boy 


tiie  princii)al  living  was  bean  porridge. 
When  it  was  cooked  it  was  set  out  in  the 
pot,  and  all  the  family  dipped. 

He,  alone,  was  left-handed.  Th-j  right- 
handed  ones,  dipi)ing  in  their  spoons,  soon 
set  the  contents  of  the  pot  going  round  in 
a  whirl,  and  the  beans  and  small  frag- 
nients  of  meat  i)artook  of  this  circular 
motion.  But  he,  being  left-handed,  thrust 
in  his  spoon,  met  the  floating  solid  parti- 
cles, and  was  able  to  approi)riate  to  him- 
self the  more  nourishing  food.  The  others 
got  the  thin  porridge. 

*     +     •!• 

The  Passiiiff  oi  the  Last  Boot 

(Cleveland  Plain-Dealer) 
The  disconcerting  news  comes  from 
Washington  that  the  last  pair  of  boots  has 
passed  cut  of  congress — i)assed  out  on  the 
manly  pedal  extremities  of  Charles  Napo- 
leon Brumm,  who  has  resigned  from  the 
House  to  accept  a  judgeship  in  Schuylkill 
county,  Pennsylvania.  Is  it  a  fact  that  the 
exit  of  the  last  boot  from  the  house  of 
representatives  is  coincident  with  its  pass- 
ing from  the  life  of  the  once  typical  Ameri- 
can? Time  was,  and  recently,  when  the 
thick  soled,  firmly  pegged  and  square  toeil 
boot  was  a  necessary  adjunct  of  vigorous 
native  life  in  its  most  virile  manfestations. 
The  small  boy  looked  forward  to  the  day 
when  he  could  exchange  his  childish  foot 
gear  for  the  dignified  boot  of  his  father. 
The  graduation  from  the  shoe  to  the  boot 
cf  maturity  was  identified  with  the  equally 
important  event  of  his  doffiing  knicker- 
bockers for  trousers;  for  boots  lost  half 
their  glory  without  trouser  legs  to  tuck  in- 
to their  sagging  toi)P.  A  proud  day  it  was  in 
the  life  of  a  hopeful  American  lad  when 
he  assumed  both  trousers  and  boots.  It 
was  then  he  first  came  to  appreciate  fully 
the  meaning  of  what  his  teachers  had  told 
him,  that  every  native  son  of  America 
could  become  president,  if  only.  etc.  He 
felt  of  presidential  size  and  importance  al- 
ready and  the  rest  of  the  road  to  tlie 
White  House  lay  clear  and  simple  before 
him. 

So  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  passing 
from  congress  of  its  last  pair  of  boots, 
guided  on  their  outward  course  by  the 
aforesaid  Mr.  Brumm.  does  not  mean  the 
final  and  complete  extinction  of  that  tyiie 
of  footwear  from  contemporary  Ameri- 
can life.  The  boot  occupied  a  place  that 
will  be  but  inadetjuately  filled  by  patent 
leather  of  Oxford  tie.  ;\Iany  a  statesman 
who  might  have  gone  thundering  down  the 
corridors  of  time  will  find  his  tread 
strangely  muffled  and  the  fact  of  his  pas- 
sage curiously  unnoticed  if  he  exchan.ges 
the  traditional  boot  of  his  ancestors  for  the 
more  modern  article  of  commerce.  Long 
live  the  boot! 


1S8 


The  Forum 


MEANING  OF  NAMES 


By  Leonhard  Felix  Fuld,  M.A^  LL.M. 

[EDITORIAL  NOTE.]  Mr.  Fuld  has 
kindly  consented  to  give  a  brief  account  of 
the  history  and  meaning  of  the  surname  of 
any  subscriber  sending  twenty-five  cents  to 
the  editor  for  that  purpose. 

Ill  BARON 

The  ulterior  origin  of  the  surname 
BARON  is  unknown.  Some  writers  refer 
it  to  the  Celtic  BAR  meaning  a  hero,  others 
to  the  Old  High  German  BERO  moaning  a 
carrier,  others  to  the  Old  English  BEORN, 
a  warrior,  and  still  others  to  the  Teutonic 
BARN  a  child.  The  late  Latin  word  BARO 
meant  merely  a  man.  It  later  came  to 
mean  a  freeman  as  opposed  to  a  slave,  a 
husband  as  opposed  to  a  wife  and  nnally  it 
became  a  generic  term, — a  male  as  opposed 
to  a  female.  In  the  Early  English  law  the 
baron  was  one  who  held  land  from  the 
king  or  other  feudal  superior  by  military 
tenure  and  subsequently  it  was  applied 
only  to  those  who  held  land  from  the  king, 
and  finally  only  to  the  greater  of  these 
landholders  who  personally  attended  the 
Great  Council  or  from  the  time  of  Henry 
III  were  summoned  by  writ  to  Parliament. 
Hence  a  baron  was  a  lord  of  Parliament. 

After  the  days  of  feudal  tenure  the  baron 
became  a  specific  order  or  rank,  being  the 
lowest  grade  of  nobility, — a  baron  as  dis- 
tinguished from  an  earl.  It  became  a  title 
separate  and  distinct  from  the  military  ten- 
ure or  any  particular  privilege.  Richard 
II  created  barons  by  patent.  The  title  of 
baron  was  also  applied  to  citizens  of  Lon- 
don and  some  other  places,  who  were 
bound  to  suit  and  service  to  the  king.  It 
was  also  used  as  the  title  of  the  Judges  of 
the  Court  of  Exchequer.  In  law  tJie  term 
baron  signifies  husband,  as  in  the  phrase 
baron  et  femme,  meaning  husband  and 
wife. 

The  title  BARON  finally  came  to  be  ap- 
|)lied  to  any  man  as  a  mark  of  respect  or 
honor.  LEONHARD   FELIX   FULD. 

•{•     4.     •{. 

QIESTIONS  ANSWERED   AND  TO  BE 
ANSWERED 


J.  Wheeler  iu  Memories  of  N.  Carolina 

(Gives  Page  397) 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Steele  died  1790  (Salis- 
t)ury).  She  was  twice  married.  By  her 
first  husband  she  had  a  daughter  who  mar- 
ried Rev.  Samuel  Eusebius  McCorkle  (b. 
1746)  son  of  Samuel  McCorkle.  Who  was 
her    first    husband?     Who    was    the    mother 


of  Rev.    S.   E.   McCorkle?     Was   she   daugh- 
ter  of   John    and   Martha   Montgomery? 

E.   Q.  N. 

(Roll   of  Honor  D.  A.   Revolution  Gives.) 

"Christian  Quiggle  enlisted  from  Man- 
heim  township,  York  Co.,  Pa.,  177f>,  in  the 
"Flying  Camp."  Served  at  Long  Island  in 
Col.  Michael  Swope's  regiment."  Who  were 
his  parents?  To  whom  was  he  married? 
Where  did  he  die  or  where  buried? 

4»  4»  * 

More    Queries,    Who    Can    Answer    Any    of 
Them? 

1.  Abraham  Kieffer  (mentioned  in  PENN- 
SYLVANA-GERMAN,  Genealogical  Records, 
p.  12,  Feb.  1909)  came  with  his  brother  and 
three  sons,  a  fourth  having  died  at  sea,  in 
"The  Two  Brothers,  from  Rotterdam,  Sept. 
15,  1748."  He  located  in  Berks  county. 
Wajited  place  of  burial,  and  gravestone 
record.  Also  place  of  burial,  gr.^vestone 
record,  and  parents  of  his  wife. 

2.  Dewald  Kieffer,  son  of  above,  came 
with  his  father,  lived  in  Berks  county,  and 
after  the'  Revolutionary  War  removed  to 
Franklin  county.  He  married  Hannah  Fox. 
Wanted  her  parents. 

3.  Jacob  Kieffer,  son  of  Abraham  above, 
lived  in  Berks  county.  Died  1809.  Want- 
ed his  burial  place,  and  gravestone  record. 

4.  Magdalena  Barnett,  wife  of  Jacob 
Kieffer,  also  died  in  Berks  county.  Want- 
ed her  place  of  burial,  gravestone  record, 
and  name  of  parents.  K.  E.  B. 

1.  Barnett,  Stephen.  He  was  of  Berks 
county.  Pa.,  and  married  Marie  or  Maria 
Bertolet;  born  July  12,  1715;  d.  1802;  dau. 
of  Jean  Bertolet.  Wanted  parents  of 
Stephen  Barnett.  Children  of  Stephen 
Barnett. 

2.  Beaver,  George.  Came  to  Berks  Co., 
Pa.,  with  his  father  and  brothers  in  "The 
Lydia,"    Sept.     29,     1741.      Age     21.      Wife, 

Anna    Catherine     .        Wanted     the 

name  of  her  parents. 

3.  Johannes  Eberle  came  to  I^ancaster 
Co.,  Pa.,  on  the  ship  Dragon,  Daniel 
Nicolus,  master,  Oct.  24,  1749.  He  was 
supposed  to  be  about  18  years  of  vge.  His 
mother  and  brothers,  Benjamin,  Henry. 
Samuel,  Abraham  and  Peter  came  with  him. 
Wanted  the  name  of  his  wife  and  her  par- 
ents. He  had  son  Johannes  and  a  daugh- 
ter who  married  a  Mr.  Albert. 

4.  Johannes  Eberle  s.  of  above,  was  b.  iu 
July,  1755;  and  m.  Elizabeth  Bricker  Nov. 
24,  1776.  She  was  b.  June  1,  1759,  and  d. 
Dec.  4,  1813.  There  were  eightee-i  in  the 
Bricker  family.  Wanted  iiarents  of  Eliza- 
beth  Bricker  of  Lancaster  Co.,   Pa. 


THE   FORUM 


189 


5.  Benjamin  Ebeiiy,  son  of  above,  moved 
with  hiis  father  to  Cumberland  Co.  in  1791. 
He  was  born  Sept.  18,  1783,  and  died  Nov. 
10,  1S65.  Married  Barbai-a  Kauffman.  She 
died  July  1857,  aged  64  years,  8  months. 
Wanted  ancestry  of  Barbara  Kauffman,  of 
Cumberland  Co.,  Pa. 

6.  Benjamin  Eberly,  son  of  above,  was 
born  1816  and  died  July  22,  1849.  Married 
Catharine  Bosler.  Wanted  ancestry  of 
Catharine  Bosler  of  Cumberland  Co.,  Pa. 

7.  Swoope,  John  Jacob,  came  on  ship 
Neptune,  from  Rotterdam.  Sept.  24,  1754. 
(John  Jacob  Schwab.)  Was  of  Hellam 
township,  York  Co.,  Pa.  Had  son  Peter  in- 
terested in  the  iron  furnaces  of  York  Co. 
Wanted  wife  and  family,  and  any  other 
information  relating  to  John  Jacob  Swoope. 

8.  Huyett,  Lodowick,  a  Hughenot,  was 
born  Jan.  7,  1739.  Established  a  home  in 
Washington  Co.,  Md.,  and  died  there  April 
17,  1828.  Wanted  his  parents  and  any  in- 
formation prior  to  settling  in  Washington 
county. 

9.  Schneider,  Maria  Margaretta,  was  the 
wife  of  Lodowick  Huyett.  Born  Feb.  1, 
1752:  d.  Feb.  21,  1833.  Wanted  her  parents. 
It  is  possible  they  were  of  Berks  Co.,  Pa. 

Chicago,    111.  K.  E.   B. 

4"  4»  * 

Towanda,   Pa..   January    6,   1909. 
H.  W.  Kriebel,  Publisher, 

Penna. -German,  East  Greenville,  Pa. 

My  dear  sir:  I  inclose  to  you  herewith 
a  copy  of  resolutions  adopted  at  a  meeting 
of  the  Historical  Society  of  Bradford  Co.. 
which  explains  itself. 

The  Indian  town,  or  rather  the  principal 
town  of  the  Carantouan  Indians,  it  is  con- 
ceded, was  on  what  is  known  as  "Spanish 
Hill"  which  is  located  in  this  county,  just 
South  of  the  State  line.  This  is  the  place 
where  Brule,  with  his  Huron  companions, 
in  October,  1615,  first  met  these  Carantou- 
annias  Indians,  (Andastes.)  and  got  500  of 
their  warriors  to  go  to  the  Iroquois  strong- 
hold, (three  days  travel,)  to  aid  the  Hu- 
rons,  who  were  with  Champlain  coming 
from  the  northwest  to  invest  the  said 
strong  hold.  For  this  information  see  But- 
terfield's  "  Brule  and  his  Discoveries  " 
(1898).  Also  in  same  work  discussion,  as 
to  Capt.  John  Smith  whether  he  ever 
reached  the  borders  of  Pennsylvania.  There 
are  some  people  who  contend,  that  in  1714 
three  Dutchman  were  captured  by  these 
same  Carouantannias  Indians,  and  brought 
to  this  section  of  what  is  now  Pennsyl- 
vania.but  the  facts  and  the  i)Iace  in  that 
narrative  are  shrouded  in  considerable 
doubt,  and  to  sustain  that  i)osition,  re- 
quires considerable  assimiption.  Even  if  it 
were  true  it  would  be  of  no  historical  val- 
ue as  they  (the  Dutchmen)  were  prisoners 
of  war.  and  were  not  here  to  learn  or  ex- 


l)lore,  but  were  here  if  at  all,  by  compul- 
sion. But  that  Brule,  was  here  for  a  pur- 
pose, and  went  to  the  mouth  of  the  Sus- 
(luehanna  river  there  can  be  but  very  lit- 
tle doubt. 

We  thought  and  believe,  that  this  im- 
portant historical  event,  is  worthy  of  the 
attention  of  the  people  of  this  State,  and 
those  interested  in  historical  matters 
should  make  an  effort  to  observe  the  Three 
Hundredth  Anniversary,  of  the  advent  of 
the  white  man  within  the  limits  of  this 
great  Commonwealth. 

This  Hill,  or  mound,  known  as  "Spanish 
Hill"  is  so  peculiar  a  formation,  and  there 
is  so  much  history  and  legends  connected- 
with  it,  that  it  deserves  some  attention. 
The  "hill"  is  about  230  feet  above  a  plain 
which  surrounds  it,  and  is  about  280  feet 
above  the  river  level. 

Much  has  been  written  about  it,  and  some 
have  assumed  to  argue  that  it  was  made 
by  man;  this  idea  has  however  never  been 
seriously  considered,  as  it  no  doubt  is  of 
natural   formation. 

The  fact  that  here  Brule,  the  first  white 
man,  (so  far  as  definitely  known)  came  in 
1615,  and  the  following  winter,  (1615-1616) 
explored  the  Susquehanna  river  to  the  Bay. 
is  of  sufficient  importance,  that  we  of  this 
Commonwealth,  should  make  note  of  it  by 
some  kind  of  gathering,  and  observance  on 
its    three   hundred    anniversary,    in    1915. 

PREAMBLE  AND  RESOLUTIONS 
Whereas,  In  1615  Stephen  Brule,  one  of 
Champlain's  interpreters,  is  known  to  have 
visited  the  Carantouannias  Indians,  who  at 
that  time  occupied  the  place  in  northern 
Bradford  county,  known  as  "Spanish  Hill." 
and  vicinity,  and  explored  the  Susquehanna 
river  "to  the  sea"  and. 

Whereas,  This  is  the  earliest  visit  or  ad- 
vent of  white  men  in  Bradford  county,  and 
in  all  probability  the  first  white  man,  with- 
in the  present  limits  of  Pennsylvania, 
therefore. 

Resolved,  That  this  Society,  in  connection 
with  the  Athens  Historical  Society,  and 
other  Historical  Societies  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  New  York,  take  steps  to  projierly  and 
appropriately  celebrate  the  Three  Hun- 
dredth Anniversary  of  this  historical  event, 
HesoIved,That  a  committee  be  appointed  to 
confer  with  the  Athens  Historical  Society, 
the  borough  authorities  of  Athens,  Sayre. 
South  Waverly.  Pennsylvania,  and  the  bor- 
ough authorities  of  Waverly.  New  York,  to 
discuss  and  formulate  i)lans.  to  ai)i)ropria- 
ately  observe  this  historical  evenr.  at  or 
near  "Spanish  Hill"  Bradford  county. 
Pennsylvania,   in   the  year   1915. 

I  certify  that  the  above  is  a  correct  and 
true  copy  of  the  preamble  and  resolutions 
adopted  by  the  Historical  Society  of  Brad- 
ford county,  at  a  regular  meeting  held  on 
December  26.   1908. 

J.   ANDREW   WILT. 

Secretary. 


190 


Local  Historical  Societies 


The  Lancaster  County  Historical  Society 

meets  monthly  except  during  the  vacation 
months  of  July  and  August.  It  also  pub- 
lishes its  proceedings  monthly,  in  pamph- 
let form.  The  December  issue  contains  an 
index  or  list  of  the  titles  and  a  brief  des- 
cription of  a  number  of  the  papers  read 
before  that  society  since  its  organization 
twelve  years  ago.  This  list  shows  the 
many  subjects  that  have  been  discussed 
and  will  prove  valuable  for  reference.  The 
Secretary  at  the  January  meetings  stated 
that  requests  came  from  other  historical 
societies  and  libraries  in  other  states  for 
its  publications.  The  librarian  reported  an 
addition  of  285  volumes  during  1908  and  a 
large  number  of  articles  for  the  museum. 
He  had  prepared  a  list  of  all  the  books 
written  or  published  by  Lancaster  county 
people,  numbering  over  1500  titles  and 
donated  his  bibliography  to  the  society. The 
Treasurer  had  received  $491  during  the 
year.  The  February  proceedings  contain 
an  interesting  paper  prepared  by  Dr.  J.  H. 
Dubbs  on  "Ephrata  Hymns  and  Hymn- 
boolcs."  Another  paper  in  the  same  pamph- 
let is  entitled  "Facts  from  an  Old  Receipt 
Book." 

•I"  +  * 

The   Let>anon   County  Historical   Society 

This  live  society  which  held  its  eleventh 
Annual  Meeting  and  dinner  January  8, 
1909,  during  1908  met  6  times,  paid  out 
$183.73,  added  about  140  books,  journals, 
l)amphlets,  curios,  etc.,  to  its  collection, 
and  closed  the  year  with  164  members. 

At  the  Annual  Meeting  the  following 
business  was  transacted: 

Reports  were  made  by  the  Executive 
Committee,  the  Treasurer,  the  Committee 
on  History,  the  Committee  on  Relics,  cur- 
ios, and  antiques,  and  the  Committee  on 
Necrology. 

The  list  of  officers  is  made  up  of  Presi- 
dent. 2  Vice  Presidents,  Secretary,  Treas- 
urer, Librarian,  an  Executive  Committee  of 
nine  including  the  President,  Secretary 
and  Treasurer,  Ex  officio. 

After  the  annual  dinner  addresses  as 
toasts  were  made  as  follows: 

"The  Presbyterian  Church  in  Lebanon 
County  by  Rev.  J.  L.  Hynson.  "Work  of  the 
Lebanon  County  Historical  Society  by  Rev. 
P  C.  Croll,  D.D.,  and  Pennsylvania  Soldiers 
at  Valley  Forge  by  John  A.  Herman.  Esq. 

One  of  the  unique  and  valuable  features 
of  the  work  of  this  society  is  the  annual 
review  of  the  past  year's  doings,  covering 
the  Weather,  Municipal  and  Industi-ial  Life, 
Elections  and  Inductions  into  Office,  Reli- 
gious Events,  Educational,  Reunions,  Events 


of  General  Interest,  Fatalities  and  Wrecks. 
Deaths.  Sister  County  Historical  Societies 
would  do  well  to  take  up  the  same  method 
of  chronicling  the  history  of  their  respec- 
tive counties, 

*  4«  4» 

Wyoming-  Historical  and   Genealogical 
Society 

This  society',  after  a  delay  of  three  years, 
has  issued  a  new  volume  (Vol.  X)  of  its 
"Proceedings  and  Collections"  made  possi- 
ble by  the  establishment  of  "The  Coxe  Pub- 
lication Fund",  contributed  by  the  Coxe 
family  of  Drifton,  Luzerne  County,  Pa. 
(256  pages,  Price  $3.50  paper  cover). 

We  give  herewith  the  subdivisions  listed 
in  the  table  of  contents — Preface,  Contents, 
Proceedings,  Reports.  Wyoming  Aathracile 
Coal  Celebration,  Glacial  Rock  on  Shawnee 
Mountain,  Muster  Roll  of  Ca^t.  Hem  y  Shoe- 
maker's Company;  Northampton  County 
Rangers,  1781 ;  Olden  Times  in  Bradford 
County,  Pa.;  Original  Letter  from  William 
Penn;  Capture  and  Rescue  of  Kosewell 
Franklin's  Family,  by  Indians;  Marriages 
and  Deaths,  Wyoming  Valley,  lSlO-1818; 
Continental  Commission  of  Col.  Zebulou 
Butler;  Turtle  Shell  Rattles  from  Indian 
Graves,  Bradford  County;  Memorial  Tablet 
to  Frances  Slocum;  Memorial  Tablet  to  Lt, 
Col.  George  Dorrance;  U.  S.  Revolutionary 
Pensioners  in  Bradford  and  Luzerne 
Counties;  Biographical  Sketches  of  De- 
ceased members;  Officers  and  Members  of 
the   Society. 

We  gather  the  following  information 
from  the  reports  of  the  Secretary  and 
Treasurer  at  the  annual  meeting  February 
11,  1908.  Number  of  Life  Members  195. 
(Membership  for  Life  is  based  on  the  con- 
tribution of  $100.00  to  be  invested  in  "the 
Life  Membership  Fund")  Annual  Members 
211.  The  secretary  wrote  fully  550  letters 
during  the  year.  During  the  year  732 
books  and  1474  pamphlets  were  added  to 
the  library  which  is  open  dail.v  from  10  A. 
M.  to  5  and  6  P.  M.  About  18000  volumes 
are  thus  accessible  for  daily  use,  a  privi- 
lege that  is  appreciated  if  7000  visitors  a 
year  are  a  criterion.  The  Secretary  and 
Librarian  Rev.  Horace  E.  Hayden  for  many 
years  carried  the  responsibility  of  incur- 
ring all  bills,  raising  all  funds  and  paying 
all  accounts.  In  1906  he  made  an  appeal 
to  the  State  Legislature  for  any  sum  from 
$5,000  to  $20,000  to  help  the  Society.  A 
joint  committee  of  the  House  and  Senate 
agreed  to  allow  $2,500  which  was  passed 
and  finally  vetoed  by  the  Governor  "  pro 
bono  publico."  This  failure  led  the  lib- 
rarian to  change  plans  and  try  to  increase 
the   endowment   fund   from   $25,000   to   $50,- 


LOCAL     HISTORICAL    SOCIETIES 


191 


000,  with  the  result  that  the  fund  in  cash 
and  subscriptions  showed  a  total  value  of 
$45,400,  at  the  annual  meeting. 

We  get  a  glimpse  at  the  collections  in 
the  following  words  quoted  from  the  Semi- 
centennial Address  delivered  by  John  W. 
Jordan,  Librarian  of  the  Historical  Societi' 
of  Pennsylvania: 

"Your  rooms  impress  the  visitor 
from  the  first  with  the  air  of  studious 
— and  because  studious —  quiet  ele- 
gance, which  meets  the  eye.  The  well- 
selected  Library  of  general  and  local 
history  and  biography  needs  no  criti- 
cism fiom  uie.  but  high  commendation, 
and  the  collection  of  portraits  of  your 
worthies,  who  by  pen  and  sword,  and 
in  professional  and  commercial  life, 
have  upheld  the  honor  and  maintained 
the  glory  of  your  county,  is  a  remark- 
able one,  and  attests  the  success  which 
has  attended  your  efforts.  And  the 
relics  and  curiosities — many  of  them 
are  of  special  interest  and  value  to 
those  who  love  what  Dean  Swift  calls 
"small  mice  nibbling  at  the  holes  of 
history."  The  Ethnological  collection 
is  a  remarkal)ly  fine  one.  I  must  not 
overlook  your  collection  of  the  news- 
papers published  in  the  county  and 
elsewhere,  valuable  aids  to  any  one 
who  delves  into  the  history  of  the 
past." 
The  concluding  words  of  Dr.  .Jordan's 
address  may  well  be  repeated: 

"Allow  me  to  urge  you  to  collect  every 
memorial  of  your  forefathers  that  time  may 
have  spared.     Give  the  future  historians  of 


your  county  no  cause  to  reproach  you  for 
having  left  them  naught  but  arid  chron- 
icles of  events,  but  let  them  find  among  the 
fruits  of  your  labors  the  materials,  not  only 
for  faithful  narrative,  but  for  a  philosoph- 
ical exposition  of  the  conduct  and  princi- 
ples  and   institutions  of  your  ancestry." 

The  Wyoming  Society  has  been  doing 
most  excellent  work  along  the  lines  refer- 
red to  by  the  speaker  and  well  merits  the 
words  quoted  on  page  45,  written  by  F.  B. 
Hodge  of  the  National  Museum,  "The  work 
of  the  Wyoming  Historical  and  Gealo- 
gical   Society   deserves   the  highest  praise." 

From  the  report  of  the  Annual  Meeting 
of  the  society  held  Feb.  10,  1909,  the  fol- 
lowing information  is  gleaned:  the  en- 
dowment fund  amounts  to  $47,000;  total 
membership  is  385,  203  being  the  life  mem- 
bers. During  the  past  year  525  books  and 
1100  pamphlets  were  added  to  the  library. 
The  society  is  now  in  a  far  more  prosperous 
condition  than  ever  before  in  its  history." 
It  must  have  pained  the  patient,  toiling 
secretary.  Rev.  H.  E.  Hayden  to  write 
these  words. 

' '  It  is  really  disheartening  to  your 
librarian  in  spite  o£  the  prosperity 
that  has  marked  the  past  year  to  note 
how  very  few  members  of  the  society 
enter  its  doors.  It  is  certain  that  of 
the  308  living  members  of  the  society 
(that  not  counting  the  sixty-eight  de- 
ceased life  members)  not  ten  per  cent., 
including  the  officers  of  the  society 
have  visited  the  rooms  during  the  past 
year  except  to  attend  the  four  regular 
meetings." 


Reviews  and  Notes 


Calvin  Thomas,  Professor  of  German 
Literature  at  Columbia  University,  is  the 
author  of  A  Short  History  of  German  Lit- 
erature, which  the  D.  Appleton  &  Co.  are 
l)ublishing.  The  volume  belongs  to  the 
Literature  of  the  World  Series,  edited  by 
Edmund   Gosse   of  Cambridge,   England. 

Miss  Elsie  Singmaster  had  two  stories 
in  the  magazines  for  February — The  GTiost 
of  Matthias  Baiini,  in  the  Century:  and  El- 
iiiina's  Liviu^-Out,  in  Lippincotts.  The 
scene  of  the  first  story  is  laid  in  Millers- 
town,  Pa.  A  well-to-do  widow  ha.s  several 
suitors,  and  she  is  undecided  about  the 
choice.  She  moves  to  the  outskirts  of  the 
village  into  a  house  where  Matthias  Baum 
formerly  lived — and  hanged  himself.  As  it 
frequently  happens,  Matthias  Baum's  ghost 
— schpook — was  said  to  be  around  the 
place.  But  Savilla  Marstellar  was  not  an- 
noyed by  these  rumors.  The  uncanniness 
of  the  place  enabled  her  to  choose  her 
suitor— Christian     Oswald,      who     was     the 


only  young  man  who  had  the  courage  to 
venture  out  in  the  dark  and  call  on  her  at 
her   new  home. 

The  scene  of  the  other  story  is  also  laid 
in  the  same  vicinity.  There  is  about  as 
much  difference  in  the  structure  of  these 
two  short  stories  as  it  is  possible  for  short 
stories  to  possess.  The  former  has  some 
plotting,  while  the  latter  is  hardlv  more 
than  an  episode:  it  is  a  transcript  out  of 
the  life  of  a  young  girl  who  becomes  dis- 
satisfied with  farm  life  at  home  and  goes 
to  Philadelphia — and  comes  back  again. 
Both  stories  are  for  the  most  part  por- 
trayals of  Pennsylvania-German  life  and 
are   interesting  reading. 

ProKTOSshe  Pennsylvania:  A  Record  of  the 
Remarkable  Industrial  Development  of 
the  Keystone  State.  By  .Tames  M. 
Swank.  Author  of  "The  Manufacture  of 
Iron  in  all  Ages."  Cloth,  octavo,  gilt 
top,  360  pp.  Price  $5.  ,J.  B  Lippin- 
cott  Company,    Philadelphia,    1908. 


192 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


This  is  a  book  filled  with  rare  informa- 
tion presented  in  an  interesting  style. 
Chapters  like  the  following,  The  Lack  of 
Civic  Pride  in  Pennsylvania;  The  People 
who  Settled  Pennsylvania;  Early  Trans- 
portation in  Pennsylvania,  giving  an  ac- 
count of  the  Conestoga  wagons  renowned 
as  the  ships  of  inland  commerce  and 
among  the  most  famous  wagons  in  history; 
Early  Railroads  in  Pennsylvania, — are  only 
a  few  of  the  interesting  parts  of  the  book. 

It  is  carefully  written;  it  is  free  from  the 
errors  that  are  apt  to  creep  into  a  publi- 
cation that  has  thousands  of  names  and 
dates.  It  is  written  in  a  style  that  is  not 
always  found  in  bocks  of  such  a  nature. 
It  is  not  a  chronology  of  events.  It  is  a 
valuable  contribution  to  Pennsylvania  his- 
tory, and  it  should  go  far  to  arouse  the 
civic  pride  of  Pennsylvanians,  which  de- 
sirable attribute,  as  related  in  the  first 
chapter,  is  manifestly  lacking  among  the 
inhabitants   of  the   Keystone   State. 

Uoderii  Methods  for  Teachers:  By  Charles 
C:    Boyer,    Ph.D,    Department    ot    Peda- 
gogy.   Keystone    Normal    Schoo.,    Kutz- 
town,  Pa.     Cloth,  345   pp.   J.   B.   Lippin- 
cott    Company,    Philadelphia,    1008. 
Here   is  a  book  that  is  modern   in   every 
aspect;    it  is  a  twentieth  century  handbook 
as   its   further  title   indicates.      It   embodies 
a  practical  view  of  the  latest  developments 
in  the  methods  of  teaching.     It  is  compre- 
hensive and  stimulating;   it  is  well  founded 
upon   experience   and   on    an   understanding 
of  the   science  and   art  of  teaching. 

Probably  the  modernity  of  it  is  carried 
far  enough  in  the  treatment  of  Agriculture; 
seemingly  this  chapter  is  just  a  little  aside 
of  the  mark,  and  that  it  is  more  fanciful 
than    practical. 

In  the  first  place,  teachers  the  least  com- 
petent to  teach  Agriculture  in  the  common 
schools  without  making  it  a  farce  are  not 
to  be  found,  and  it  is  exceedingly  difficult 
to  tell  when  they  can  be  found.  Second- 
ly, the  course  as  suggested  even  for  a 
grammar  school  is  entirely  too  extensive; 
l)upils  could  not  do  anything  but  run  over 
the  country  visiting  this  and  that.  In  our 
mind  there  is  enough  of  this  interrujjted 
manner  of  study  by  just  such  performances. 
What  undisciplined  and  unrestrained  young 
America  needs  is  to  do  some  hard  work 
and  some  hard  consistent  thinking,  to  learn 
to  sit  down  to  some  hard  consistent  study- 
ing and  acquire  a  scholarship  worth  the 
name.  Thirdly,  that  such  an  extensive 
study  of  Agriculture  should  be  adopted  in 
a  city  high  school  self-evident! y  borders 
•almost  on  the  al)surd;  and  by  no  nrinner  of 


means  would  it  relieve  the  ovet  crowded 
tiictcry  and  tenement,  even  if  it  could  be 
carried  out. 

We  believe  in  getting  children  nore  in- 
terested in,  and  acquainted  with,  God's 
great  out-of-doors;  but  in  order  to  do  this 
it  is  net  necessary  to  turn  our  public 
schools  into  agricultural  colleges;  they 
ape  too  much  after  the  college  as  it  is.  A 
wholesome  and  sympathetic  studv  of  na- 
ture as  suggested  by  Professor  Schniucker's 
"The  Study  of  Nature"  will  do  a  great  deal 
toward  arousing  an  interest  in  the  outside 
world. 

The  book  is  splendidly  outlined;  it  is 
divided  into  three  parts:  Principles  of 
Teaching;  Methods  of  Culture;  Methods  of 
Instruction.  There  is  also  an  A.ppendix 
with  a  most  valuable  list  of  books  for  sup- 
plementary reading.  It  is  a  valuable  addi- 
tion to  pedagogical  literature. 

Luther's    Epistle    Sermons    for  Advent  and 
Christmas,    translated    into    English    by 
Professor    J.    N.    Lenker,    D.D..    author 
of    "Lutherans    in    all    Lands,"    transla- 
tor of  Luther's  Works,  etc.,     Bound  in 
cloth,   338   pp.,   price   $1.50   or   with   ex- 
pressage  prepaid  $1.65.     It  is  also  pub- 
lished  in   a   cheaper   form   at   50   cents. 
Address    The   Luther     Press,     Box    253. 
Minneapolis.   Minn. 
This    well-bound    volume   contains   twelve 
excellent    sermons    for    the     part     of     the 
church  year  from   the  first   Sunday   in  Ad- 
vent    to    Epiphany,     including    three    ser- 
mons for  Christmas  and  one  each  for  New- 
Year's,     St.    Stephen's    and    St.  John 's   days. 
The    reading    of   the   volume    is   both    inter- 
esting   and    edifying,    more    like    a    modern 
book    than    sermons    preached    nearly    four 
hundred  years   ago. 

It  is  better  to  study  the  books  Luther 
wrote,  than  those  others  have  written  of 
his  life  and  work.  "It  is  remarkable  how  he 
treats  the  problems  which  perplex  thought- 
ful men  of  our  day,  covering  almost  every 
phase  of  religious,  moral  and  social  con- 
ditions." Read  this  and  others  of  his  most 
popular   books    and   "judge   for   yourself." 

Luther  on  "Christian  Education"  was 
translated  by  Dr.  Lenker  and  lately  pub- 
lished. To  be  had  at  above  address  at 
same   price. 

Rev.  Di-.  Lenker  is  a  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man by  birth  and  education.  With  the  as- 
sistance of  others  he  has  already  trans- 
lated and  published  a  considerable  portion 
of  the  110  volumes  written  by  the  Re- 
former, Martin  Luther.  It  is  expected  that 
all  will  be  translated  and  i)ublished  in 
English.  .1.  A.  S. 


Vol.  X 


MAY,  1909 


No.  5 


A  FEW  WORDS 

ABOUT 

THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


HE     locating   of   the   publi- 
cation     office     of     this 
magazine  at  Lititz  afifords 
a  convenient  excuse    and 
opportunity  for  saying  a 
few      thinp^s      respecting 
the   history    and     present 
purposes     of     the     maga- 
zine. 
The   first   number  of  THE   PENN- 
SYLVANIA-GERMAN    issued     Jan- 
uary, 1900.  by  Rev.  Dr.  P.  C.  Croll,  of 
Lebanon,       Pa.,        contained        among 
others      the      following      introductory 
words. 

No  more  than  a  new-born  babe  does 
this  journal  apologize  for  its  birth.  It  is 
here  and  claims  its  right  to  be.  It  was 
born  within  the  wedlock  of  race-love  and 
the  desire  of  its  perpetuation.  It  has 
come  with  a  mind  to  stay.  It  believes 
that  it  has  an  open  field  in  which  to  grow, 
explore   and   disport  itself. 

Like  all  infants  it  cries  for  help  and 
support.  It  seeks  all  who  would  lovingly 
press  it  to  their  heart  and  promises  to 
prove  a  benefit  and  a  blessing  to  such.  It 
hopes  to  grow  into  general  favor  and 
make   itself  widely  known   and   useful. 

It  not  only  is,  but  it  exists  for  a  special 
purpose.  It  feels  that  it  has  a  distinct  life 
of   its   own   to   live.      It  therefore   comes  to 


join  the  large  journalistic  family  labeled 
with  a  special  tag.  It  wears  this  upon  its 
very  face  (cover)  and  does  not  feel  like  dy- 
ing before  its  recognized  mission  has  been 
set  forth.  It  has  a  story  to  tell  that  has 
never  yet  been  fully  or  correctly  told.  It 
has  a  treasure  to  unearth  that  has  been 
hidden  even  to  many  of  its  own  heirs.  It 
has  a  mine  of  poetic  gems  to  explore  that 
must  not  be  allowed  to  lie  in  oblivion  with 
the  passing  of  the  dialect  in  which  they 
are  couched.  It  ras  a  wealth  of  biography 
to  write  which  must  place  comparatively 
unknown  men  today  into  the  galaxy  of 
the  great  and  renowned.  It  has  broken  bits 
of  anecdote  and  sentiment  and  reminis- 
cence to  gather  as  beads  upon  a  string 
which  its  proud  descendants  of  a  plain  but 
sturdy  race  may  wear  as  a  golden  neck- 
lace in  the  presence  of  the  lords  and 
princes  of  other  race  classes.  Its  very 
name  must  declare  its  mission  to  which  it 
professes   to  hold   itself  loyal. 

SALE   OF  MAGAZINE 

Dr.  Croll  as  editor  and  publisher 
conducted  the  magazine  very  credit- 
ably and  successfully  until  October, 
1905,  when  the  sale  of  the  magazine 
was  announced  in  an  editorial  con- 
taning  the  following  words : 

With  this  issue  THE  PENNSYLVANIA- 
GERMAN  closes  its  sixth  volume.  The 
unique     journalist     infant,      born      nearly 


194 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


six  years  ago,  has  grown  well  apace  and 
is  now  quite  a  plump  and  active  little 
stripling.  Wlien  it  first  came  to  light  it 
was  a  dubious  little  foundling — a  care 
chieflj-  to  its  literary  pater,  a  surprise  and 
curiosity  to  its  blood  relatives.  But  its 
piteous  cry,  like  that  of  many  another 
hepless  babe,  sympathetically  drew  to  it- 
self a  circle  of  true  friends  and  loyal  sup- 
porters. It  was  soon  recognized  that  it 
came  of  good  blood  and  that  it  had  noble 
aspirations.  Hence  it  was  carefally  fed 
and  well  clad;  so  it  soon  shed  its  swad- 
dling clothes   and   began  to   stir  about. 

It  has  now  outgrown  its  nursery.  It 
has  grown  into  an  active  and  heaithy  boy. 
It  has  developed  an  identity  of  its  own.  Its 
life  is  distinct  and  separate  from  that  of 
its  founder.  Its  voice  has  grown  stronger 
and  more  familiar,  and  it  has  for  years 
periodically  wakened  the  slumbering 
echoes  in  many  a  valley  of  the  dear  old 
Keystone  State.  Even  beyond  the  State  of 
its  birth  the  migrating  clans  have  heard 
its  bugle  notes,  and  they  have  corce  to  its 
rescue  and  support  as  the  clans  of  bonny 
Scotland  would  answer  the  clarion  notes 
of  one  of  its  pipers  in  the  old  feudal  days. 

Inasmuch  as  the  magazine  has  thus  de- 
veloped its  own  distinct  life,  it  can  be 
treated  as  a  thing  separate  from  its 
founder  and  literary  guardian.  Whilst  it 
may  still  have  need  of  direction  and  sup- 
ervision, the  character  of  its  life  has  be- 
come fixed  and  definitely  outlined.  It  must 
live  out  its  own  peculiar  self,  no  matter  in 
whose  house  it  may  find  chance  to  dwell. 
It  may,  therefore,  be  permitted  to  wander 
from  the  home  and  paternal  tutelage  of  its 
birth,  and  in  other  hands  and  new  environ- 
ments work  out  its  peculiar  mission  and 
live   its   distinctive   life. 

It  has  accordingly  been  decided  that  in 
the  future  the  little  stripling  shall  have 
a  new  home.  It  will  go  on  its  errand  of 
light-giving,  trimmed  by  other  shears.  For 
its  periodic  voyages  over  the  literary  seas, 
its  sails  will  be  unfurled  by  other  hands. 
In  short,  after  this  issue  it  passes  into 
other  editorial  care  and  possession.  It 
cannot  be  said  that  it  was  sold,  for  the 
little  fellow  is  no  slave — but  was  free-born, 
it  must  forever  remain  as  unshackled  in  its 
mission  of  bearing  historic  light  as  is  the 
goddess  of  liberty,  perched  on  a  pedestal 
in  New  York  harbor.  Yet  for  a  considera- 
tion its  privilege  of  editorial  guidance  and 
its  property  rights  and  ownership  have 
been  transferred  and  are  henceforth  ex- 
clusively vested  in  other  hands.  On  ac- 
count of  ever  more  crowding  professional 
duties  and  occasional  reminders  of  a  de- 
cline of  nervous  vitality,  its  founder  and 
editor  has  searched  out  capable  and  loving 
hands  to  whom  it  has  been  confidently  en- 
trusted. 


We  are  happy  to  say  that  such  guard- 
ians have  been  found  in  the  persons  of 
Messrs.  H.  A.  Schuler,  of  Allentown  and 
H.  W.  Kriebel,  of  East  Greenville,  Fa.,  both 
educated,  intelligent  and  experienced  men. 
The  former  was  for  many  years  associated 
with  a  progressive  newspaper  of  his  city, 
while  the  latter  has  been  a  founder,  trus- 
tee and  teacher  of  Perkiomen  Seminary,  a 
school  of  no  mean  reputation.  Both  are 
writers  upon  Pennsylvania-German  sub- 
jects. Being  country  bred  they  know  the 
genuine  flavor  of  its  folklore,  life  and 
spirit,  and  being  educated  and  clever  ob- 
servers, they  have  grasped  the  scope  of  its 
life  as  it  is  yet  to  be  largely  unfolded  in 
literature. 

NEW  PLANS 

The  new  proprietors  announced 
their  plans  and  hopes  as  follows: 

Our  aim  will  be  to  move  forward  along 
the  lines  laid  down  by  the  founder  of  this 
magazine,  gradually  developing  new  feat- 
ures in  essential  harmony  with  its  main 
ideals  and  doing  this  by  giving  all  our 
time  and  thought  to  the  work.  Our  chief 
purpose  will  not  be  to  offer  cheap,  ridicul- 
ous poetry  in  the  vernacular,  nor  to  dole 
out  perfunctory  praise  of  individuals,  nor 
to  attempt  a  mere  description  of  Pennsyl- 
vania-German life,  either  past  or  present, 
nor  to  disparage  any  class  of  our  citizens, 
but  to  undertake  and  continue  the  thorough 
study  of  the  lives,  the  work  and  the  char- 
acteristics of  that  large,  sturdy  and  long 
continued  stream  of  German  immigrants 
which  began  at  the  very  founding  of  the 
State.  In  the  next  place  we  wish  to  en- 
courage a  closer  study  of  the  environ- 
ments of  these  people,  as  a  background  to 
the  picture  we  would  paint  or  the  mosaic 
we  would  piece  together.  We  shall  look 
for  the  hearty  co-operation  of  our  readers 
to  this  end  and  will  welcome  whatever 
suggestions  they  may  make  for  improving 
our  magazine. 

Right  here  let  us  say  that  we  have  no 
hobby  to  ride,  no  fads  to  parade,  no  creeds 
to  air,  no  ax  to  grind,  no  place  to  boom, 
no  vengeance  to  wreak,  no  idols  to  smash. 
Only  this:  We  honor,  admire  and  thor- 
oughly believe  in  the  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
mans; we  are  poud  to  be  of  their  kith  and 
kin;  we  wish  to  do  them  a  useful  service 
and  thereby  make  an  honest  living  for  our- 
selves. We  want  all  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
mans and  their  friends  to  read  our  maga- 
zine and  shall  strive  to  respond  to  the 
tastes,  wishes  and  wants  of  our  readers. 

^\^ith  the  issue  for  September  22, 
1906,  the  magazine  was  made  a 
monthly.  The  next  issue  contained 
the  following-  "Important  Notice." 


A  FEW  WORDS  ABOUT  THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


195 


Due  notice  is  hereby  given  that  the  part- 
nership heretofore  existing  between  H.  W. 
Kriebel  and  H.  A.  Schuler  in  the  publica- 
tion of  THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 
was  dissolved  by  mutual  consent  Septem- 
ber 20,  1906.  Mr.  Kriebel  thereby  acquired 
the  sole  ownership  of  the  magazine  and 
will  continue  the  publication  thereof,  while 
Mr.  Schuler  will  continue  the  editorial 
management.  All  matters  of  business  per- 
taining to  the  magazine  must  be  settled 
■with   Mr.    Kriebel. 

Durint]^  1907  plans  were  laid  for  a 
vigorous  campaif^n  the  following 
year,  to  be  ruthlessly  disarranged  by 
the  untimely  and  lamentable  death  of 
the  editor  Mr.  H.  A.  Schuler,  Jan- 
uary, 1908.  All  editorial  and  financial 
responsibility  were  thus  suddenly 
thrust  upon  the  publisher,  contem- 
plated improvements  prevented  and 
personal  canvassing  by  the  editor  and 
publisher  made  practically  impossible 
for  want  of  time. 

"WHAT    OTHERS    SAY" 

A  circular  letter  was  sent  to  sub- 
scribers January  1909  asking  among 
others  the  following  questions:  i, 
Has  THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GER- 
MAN a  field?  2,  Has  it  won  for  itself 
a  right  to  live  and  expect  support? 

Our  readers  will  bear  with  us  if  we 
quote   a   few   words   from   the   replies : 

— Most  assuredly,  it  should  find  a  wel- 
come in  all  intelligent  families  and  serve 
as  a  history  for  the  rising  generation  and 
lind  many  of  the  young  desiring  to  read 
mine. 

THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  has  a 
wide  field.  It  has  won  for  itself  a  right  to 
live  and  is  intensely  interesting,  instruc- 
tive   and    entertaining. 

—Undoubtedly  THE  PENNSYLVANIA- 
GERMAN  magazine  has  a  field  and  has 
Tvon  for  itself  a  place  in  it.  It  merits  a 
large    circulation. 

—THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  is  the 
best  and  most  for  the  money  of  any  maga- 
zine in  its  class  and  certainly  deserves  the 
substantial  support  of  every  thinking  son 
and  daughter  of  our  race. 

—  feel  that  the  magazine  has  a  distinct 
field  which  it  is  filling  with  a  large  meas- 
ure of  success.  It  should  receive  the  sup- 
port of  all  interested  directly  in  Pennsyi- 
vania  history  and  through  libraries,  could 
profitably  be  made  available  to  advanced 
students  in  American  history  in  all  sec- 
tions of  the  country. 


— It  both  has  a  field  and  has  won  a 
right  to  live  and  expect  support.  It  has 
far  exceeded  my  expectations  in  every 
respect.  It  deserves  the  heartiest  support 
and   encouragement. 

—I  am  sure  there  is  a  field  for  THE 
PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  and  that  it  has 
a  right  to  ask  for  support.  It  seems  to 
me  that  the  city  of  Philadelphia  with  its 
large  population  of  German  descent,  alone 
should  support  such  a  paper.  Or,  that  the 
cities  of  Lancaster,  Reading  and  Allen- 
town  should  do  it  without  a  subscriber 
from  anywhere  else. 
—Think  THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 
should  be  taken  in  every  Pennsylvania- 
German  family  and  tre  language  be  kept  up 
by  the  children — unless  it  is  done,  in  a  few 
years  there  will  be  no  one  left  who  knows 
the   language. 

(1)  Certainly. 

(2)  Undoubtedly. 

— Wish  you  continued  success,  and  hope 
it  may  be  a  means  of  correcting  the 
erroneous  views  concerning  our  people. 
If  only  those  who  are  most  in  need  of  it 
were   readers  of  it. 

(1)  Yes   indispensable    necessity. 

(2)  Decidedly. 

—Certainly  THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GER- 
MAN has  a  field  and  has  nobly  won  itself 
a  right  to  exist  and  I  trust  it  will  receive 
proper    support. 

—THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  has 
a  definite  field  and  mission  and  what  is 
more,  it  is  fulfilling  its  mission.  I  has  a 
right  to  exist  and  should  receive  the  sup- 
port of  every  Pennsylvania-German  in  this 
and  other   states. 

— Of  all  the  papers  and  magazines  I  am 
getting  it  would  be  the  last  one  I  would 
drop. 

— This  paper  should  have  the  encourage- 
ment and  support  of  every  Pennsylvanian 
of  German  or  Dutch  descent. 

— In  a  sense  pioneer  work  is  still  to  be 
done  in  this  field,  that  is  as  compared  with 
the  work  accomplished  in  New  England 
and  New  York.  I  feel  that  THE  PENN- 
SYLVANIA-GERMAN will  occupy  a  posi- 
tion similar  to  the  N.  E.  Gen.  and  Bio. 
Register  and  the  N.  Y.  Record.  To  bring 
this  about  it  will  be  necessary  for  all  in- 
terested in  Pennsylvania  history  and  gen- 
ealogy to  co-operate  in  the  work. 

I  read  the  magazine  regularly,  and  am 
much  interested  in  the  historical  and  other 
general  information  it  contains,  concern- 
ing our  old  Commonwealth,  with  special 
reference  to  our  kind  of  people,  and  we 
cannot  help  but  feel  that  if  there  had 
been  strenuous  efforts  made  in  this  direc- 
tion by  former  generations,  such  as  you 
and  others   engaged  in  this  good  work  are 


196 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


now  making,  and  if  our  people  had  been 
more  self-reliant  and  determined  to  push 
to  the  fore,  that  they  would,  no  doubt, 
have  secured  a  much  greater  influence  in 
the  public  affairs  of  this  Commonwealth, 
and  more  honors  to  their  individual  mem- 
bers, even  than  they  have  heretofore  en- 
joyed   and    are    now    enjoying. 

—THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  has 
a  prolific  field  among  the  descendants 
when  its  mission  is  properly  understood 
and  its  straightforwardness  in  all  its  con- 
tents has  won  for  itself  a  right  to  live  and 
I   bespeak  for  it  a  successful  future. 

— Would  not  be   without  it. 

That  THE  PENNSYLV..\NIA-GERMAN 
has  a  field  of  its  own,  goes  without  say- 
ing. I  have  been  a  subscriber  from  the 
beginning  and  would  be  sorry  to  give  it 
up. 

— Has  my  hearty  Amen.  I  would  not  be 
without   it  at  double   its   price. 

—THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  is  a 
meritorious  publication  championing  the 
cause  of  a  worthy  race.  We  do  honor  to 
ourselves  by  honoring  our  forbears  though 
humble,  whose  life  this  magazine  aims  to 
perpetuate.  It  should  be  in  every  intelli- 
gent home.  It  is  clean  and  absolutely  re- 
liable. 

— I  am  pleased  with  your  magazine  both 
internally  and  externally.  I  do  not  think 
that  any  fair-minded  person  has  any  good 
reasons  to  adversely  criticise  your  publica- 
tion. On  the  other  hand  I  feel  that  it  is 
ably  edited  and  its  appearance  is  suffic- 
iently attractive  to  merit  the  support  of 
all  Pennsylvania-Germans  who  take  any 
interest   in   their    own    history. 

— I  find  your  magazine  always  interest- 
ing and  of  value,  and  I  trust  that  you  are 
meeting      with      abundant      succes ;  The 

Pennsylvania  "Dutchman"  will  some  day 
come  into  his  own  history,  song  and  story 
and  your  work  will  then  be  aprreciated 
even  more  than  it  is  now. 

—  THE  PENNSYLVANIA  -  GERMAN 
(magazine)  is  an  indispensable  production 
— a  long  felt  want  and  should  be  sup- 
ported by  every  one  of  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man   extraction. 

— The  magazine  occupies  a  field  rich  in 
history  and  folklore,  and  I  can  bespeak  for 
it  my  best  wishes  for  its  continued  success. 

—There  is  no  doubt  that  THE  PENN- 
SYLVANIA-GERMAN has  a  large  field  and 
thrt  there  is  a  long  life  of  great  useful- 
ness before  it.  No  other  periodical  occu- 
pies this  field.  The  history  and  the  vir- 
tues of  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  have 
been  too  long  neglected.  The  magazine  is 
doing  much  to  secure  our  people  recogni- 
tion for  what  they  are  and  what  they  have 


done    and    the    large    number    of    their    de- 
scendants should  furnish  it  ample  support. 

—I  think  THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GER- 
MAN has  a  legitimate  field  although 
limited  to  a  certain  class  of  people  by  its 
necessary  distinctiveness.  Its  scope  of  ter- 
ritory, however,  is  quite  extensive  and  in- 
cludes all  places  in  which  reside  Pennsyl- 
vania-Germans and  their  descendants,  and 
as  the  number  of  that  class  of  people  is 
millions,  thousands  of  whom  are  appre- 
ciating their  ancestry,  there  seems  to  be  no 
reason  why  the  magazine  should  not  re- 
ceive a  good  support  as  it  has  surely  won 
for  itself  a  right  to  live. 

— Several  years  ago  while  in  the  Con- 
gressional Library,  Washington,  D.  C.  I 
first  saw  THE  PENNSYLV ANA-GERMAN 
and  was  so  delighted  I  subscribed  at  once. 
Since  that  time  it  has  steadily  improved 
and  I  would  not  wish  to  miss  a  copy.  I 
have  given  as  presents  yearly  subscrip- 
tions to  quite  a  number  of  my  friends  be- 
lieving your  magazine  has  a  fild  and  is  fill- 
ing it. 

PLANS   FOR   FUTURE 

Our  ambition  is  to  make  THE 
PENNSYLVANIA  -  GERMAN  by 
virtue  of  its  inherent  value  an  indis- 
]-)ensable  periodical  in  its  chosen  field. 

xAs  means  to  this  end  we  may  call 
attention  to  a  few  items : 

I.  ^^'e  have  adopted  a  standard 
phonetic  notation.  The  reader  is  re- 
fered  to  our  article  on  the  subject. 
The  dialect  is  dying  has  been  dying 
the  last  hundred  years,  in  fact  should 
have  been  dead  for  decades  according 
to  predictions  made. 

\\'hile  it  is  dying  and  is  destined  to 
become  eventually  a  dead  "dialect"  it 
is  highly  desirable  from  a  historical 
linquistic  and  social  standpc>int  to 
observe  and  record  its  finer  distinc- 
tions. What  are  the  differences  be- 
tween the  Lehigh  and  Lancaster  dia- 
lects, between  those  of  Centre  and 
Somerset  counties? 

We  w^elcome  the  submission  of 
notes  and  articles  for  publication 
bearing  on  the  history,  peculiarities, 
of  the  dialect  and  will  be  pleased  to 
have  contributors  make  tise  of  this 
notation  in  indicating  the  sound 
values  of  letters  and  words. 


A  FEW  WORDS  ABOUT  THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


197 


2.  Providing  sufficient  orders  are  re- 
ceived making-  such  a  step  feasible  we 
will  reprint  the  earlier  volumes  of  the 
magazine,  thus  making  the  acquisi- 
tion of  complete  sets  of  the  magazine 
a   possibility. 

THE  PENNSYLVANIA  ■  GER- 
]\IAN  has  already  become  a  reposi- 
tory of  valuable  data  respecting  local 
Pennsylvania  history  not  otherwise 
accessible.  \\'ith  a  widening  circle  of 
^  friends  and  interested  supporters  it 
must  continue  to  grow  in  value  as  a 
source  book  for  public  and  private 
historic    libraries. 

Some  of  the  volumes  are  out  of 
print ;  of  others  only  a  few  copies  are 
left.  Orders  for  back  numbers  have 
remained  unfilled  because  the  copies 
could  not  be  supplied.  It  is  not  at 
all  likely  that  another  republication 
will  be  attempted.  All  those  who 
desire  any  or  all  of  the  first  nine  vol- 
umes of  the  magazine  should  for- 
ward their  orders  at  once.  For  con- 
ditions see  advertising  pages.  Sub- 
scribers will  confer  a  great  favor  by 
sending  us  names  and  addresses  of  in- 
dividuals and  libraries  who  in  their 
estimation  might  be  interested  in  this 
offer. 

3.  As  time  and  means  permit  more 
space  will  be  devoted  to  Literary 
Notes,  the  work  of  Historical  Socie- 
ties, and  the  printing  of  genealogical 
data. 

We  are  led  to  refer  to  the  first  of 
these  by  the  following  communica- 
tion from  a  reader : 

Would  it  be  feasible  for  you  to  print  a 
summary  or  review  or  at  least  a  biblio- 
graphy of  all  current  articles  or  books  in 
which  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  figure? 
Every  month  there  are  one  or  more  stor- 
ies, essays  or  articles  in  the  various  maga- 
zines more  or  less  descriptive  of  "Pennsyl- 
vania-Dutch" life.  And  then  there  are  of 
course  the  occasional  novels  and  historical 
efforts.  It  would  be  worth  while  it  seems 
to  me  to  keep  your  readers  in  touch  with 
ail  this  literature. 

It  will  be  impossible  for  the  editor 
to  do  this  work  satisfactorily  alone. 
He   will   be   glad   to   avail   himself   of 


the  kind  aid  and  advice  of  subscribers 
and  invites  communication  on  the 
subject.  Let  me  know  on  what  par- 
ticular field  you   can   supply  notes. 

Unfortunately  we  have  experienced 
difficulty  in  making  arrangements  for 
the  prompt  report  of  meeting  of  local 
Historical  Societies.  The  following 
communication  will  illustrate  one 
reason  why  we  do  not  report  more 
society  proceedings : 

I  must  admit  that  as  Secretary  of  the 
Historical  Society  I  have  been  discourteous 
in  not  replying  to  the  request  for  reports 
of  our  proceedings.  As  a  fact  I  am  not 
able  to  attend  to  my  own  business  and 
have  not  time  even  to  be  secretary,  but 
seem  unable  to  escape  the  office.  I  do  not 
know  of  any  other  member  who  would  be 
likely  to  undertake  to  send  reports.  It  is 
difficult  to  get  them  to  attend  the  meetings 
and  they  are  not  active  workers  in  any 
line    of   history. 

4.  We  shall  give  our  hearty  en- 
couragement to  the  organization  of 
local  Pennsylvania  German  societies 
and  give  them  through  their  represen- 
tatives official  recognition  in  the  edi- 
torial management  of  the  magazine. 
We  believe  that  such  movement  to  be 
inaugurated  by  the  organization  of  a 
local  society  at  Reading  will  mean  a 
great  deal  in  the  study  of  the  life  of 
the  German  element  in  America.  We 
shall  be  pleased  to  hear  from  sub- 
scribers who  are  willing  to  help 
organize  societies  in  their  respective 
communities. 

5.  The  minimum  number  of  pages 
of  the  magazine  proper  per  month 
hereafter  will  be  56  instead  of  48, 
eight  pages  of  general  reading  matter 
being  substituted  for  the  supplemen- 
tal pages  of  "Genealogical  Records." 
Supplementary  pages  containing  gen- 
ealogical, family  and  church  or  other 
records  will  be  printed  only  by  special 
arrangement  with  parties  interested, 
the  conditions  of  which  will  be  cheer- 
fully given  on  application.  We  be- 
lieve that  by  this  change  we  can  serve 
our  readers  and  contributors  more 
fully  and  more  satisfactorily  than  by 
the  plan   followed  thus   far  this  year. 


198 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


We  have  been  influenced  to  take 
this  step  by  a  genealogical  student 
who  wrote  us  as  follows : 

I  take  the  liberty  of  making  a  recom- 
mendation and   a  suggestion. 

Many  persons  have  enough  family  data  to 
make  a  page  or  so  when  printed,  but  it  is 
not  enough  to  be  ready  for  pamplet  or 
book  form.  Advertise   a  price   per   page   for 

such  printing   as   a  part  of  your   advertise- 


ments in  your  magazine  for  one  issue. 
These  will  make  a  pamphlet  when  several 
pages  have  been  printed  at  different  times 
and  will  be  much  prized.  If  this  can  be 
done  I  am  quite  certain  that  it  will  prove 
to  be  the  best  feature  of  your  magazine  in 
point  of  attracting  additional  subscribers. 
We  shall  make  other  changes  from 
time  to  time  which  need  and  condi- 
tions may  seem  to  make  desirable. 


Lancaster  County  History 

By  Israel  Smith  Clare,  Lancaster,  Pa. 
AUTHOR  OF  A  SERIES  OF  WORLD  HISTORIES 


H  E  territory  comprised 
within  the  limits  of  Lan- 
caster county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, before  its  settle- 
ment by  the  whites,  was 
occupied  by  v  a  r  i  o  us 
tribes  of  Indians,  such  as 
the  Susquehannocks,  the 
Shawanese,  the  Conoys,  the  Delawares 
and  the  Nanticokes.  The  Susquehan- 
nocks were  a  powerful  tribe  at  one 
time,  and  the  last  remnant  of  the 
tribe  was  called  Mingoes,  or  Cones- 
togas,  whose  home  was  at  Indian- 
town,  in  the  present  Manor  tov/nship, 
which  was  destroyed  by  the  Paxton 
Boys  in  1763,  when  the  Conestogas 
were  massacred  at  Indiantown  and  in 
the  jail  at  Lancaster.  The  Shawanese 
were  a  warlike,  treacherous  and  rov- 
ing tribe,  who  migrated  from  the 
South  and  settled  at  Pequahan,  or 
Pequea,  at  the  mouth  of  Pequea 
creek,  early  in  the  eighteenth  century, 
and  remained  there  for  half  a  century, 
after  which  they  migrated  to  the 
West. 

The  territory  of  the  present  Lan- 
caster county  was  visited  by  whites 
who  traded  with  the  Indians,  such  as 
the  French  Canadians,  Martin  Char- 
tiere  and  his  son  Pierre  Chartiere, 
Pierre  Bizallon,  Jacques  LeTort  and 
Isaac  Miranda ;  the  English  Quakers, 
Edmund  Cartlidge  and  his  brother 
John  Cartlidge,  John  Harris,  James 
Harris,  Robert  Wilkins,  William  Wil- 
kins,  Thomas  Wilkins,  sr.,  Thomas 
Wilkins,  jr.,  John  Wilkins,  Peter  Wil- 


kins, Colonel  John  Gibson,  Colonel 
George  Gibson,  Barnabas  Hughes, 
Gordon  Howard,  Samuel  Smith, 
Jonas  Davenport,  Peter  Allen,  Henry 
Bealy,  John  Burt,  John  Boggs,  Moses 
Combs  and  Simon  Girty;  and  the 
Scotch-Irishman,  James  Patterson, 
Lazarus  Lowry,  John  Lowry,  James 
Lowry,  Daniel  Lowry,  Alexander 
Lowry,  James  Galbraith  and  his  son 
John  Galbraith,  James  Hamilton,  John 
Kennedy,  Dennis  Sullivan  and  Joseph 
Simons. 

FIRST    SETTLERS 

Lancaster  county  was  originally  a 
part  of  Chester  county,  and  the  ear- 
liest white  settlers  were  Swiss  Men- 
nonites,  French  Huguenots,  Scotch- 
Irish,  Presbyterians,  Welsh  Episco- 
palians and  English  Quakers.  The 
two  original  townships  were  Cones- 
toga,  formed  in  1712,  and  Donegal, 
formed  in   1722. 

The  Swiss  and  German  Mennonites 
came  as  early  as  1709,  and  settled  in 
the  Pequea  valley  and  on  the  site  and 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  present  city  of 
Lancaster,  having  been  driven  to  mi- 
gration in  America  by  horrible  relig- 
ious persecution  in  Switzerland  and 
in  that  part  of  western  Germany 
known  as  the  Palatinate  of  the 
Rhine,  for  which  reason  they  were 
called  Palatinates.  This  first  Swiss 
and  German  Mennonite  setclement 
was  made  in  1709,  near  Willow  Street 
where  the  Herrs  and  Mylins  now  re- 
side.   These  early  settlers  were  Hans 


LANCASTER  COUNTY  HISTORY 


199 


Herr  and  his  five  sons,  Hans  Mylin 
and  his  sons  Martin  and  Hans,  Hans 
Rudolph  Bundley,  Martin  Kendig, 
Jacob  Miller,  Martin  Oberholtzer, 
Michael  Oberholtzer,  Hans  Funk, 
Wendel  Bowman,  Henrich  Shank,  Ul- 
rich  Brackbill,  George  Suavely,  Chris- 
tian Musser,  Hans  Jacob  Hoover, 
Samuel  Hess,  Samuel  Boyer.  Chris- 
tian Stover,  Henrich  Zimmerman  or 
Carpenter,  Christopher  Franciscus, 
Amos  Strettle,  Jacob  Miller,  Peter 
Yordea,  Hans  Tschantz,  Heinrich 
Funk,  Hans  Houser,  Hans  Bachman, 
Jacob  Weber  Benedictus  Venrich, 
Christopher  Schlegel,  Guldin  and 
others.  Hans  Herr  had  five  sons, 
three  of  whom  settled  in  what  is  now 
A\'est  Lampeter  township  and  two  in 
what  is  now  ]\Ianor  tonship.  The 
Herrs  of  West  Lampeter,  Strasburg 
Manor  and  other  townships  are  their 
descendants. 

In  1715,  1716,  1717  and  171^  Bene- 
dictus V^enerick,  Hans  Mayer,  Hans 
Kaigy,  Christian  Hershey,  Hans 
Graaf,  Hans  Brubacker,  Alichael 
Shank,  Heinrich  Bare,  Peter  Leaman 
Melchior  Brenneman,  Henrich  Funk, 
Hans  Faber,  Isaac  Kauffman,  Mel- 
chior Erisman,  Michael  Miller,  Jacob 
Landis,  Jacob  Boehm,Theodorus  Eby, 
Bendictus  Witmer,  the  brothers 
Francis  Xefif  and  Hans  Heinrich  Neff, 
Sigismund  Laudart,  Christian  Steh- 
man,  Joseph  Stehman  and  others  set- 
tled along  the  Conestoga  and  its  vi- 
cinity in  what  became  Lancaster, 
Conestoga,  Manor  and  H'empfield 
townships. 

Among  the  French  families  of  the 
Lefevres  and  the  Ferrees  in  the  Pe- 
quea  valley  east  of  the  other  Swiss 
and  German  settlements  were  some 
German  and  Swiss  settlers,  such  as 
the  Schleiermachers  or  Slaymakers, 
the  Zimmermans  or  Carpenters,  the 
Witmers,  the  Lightners,  the  Eshle- 
mans,  the  Herrs,  the  Hersheys,  the 
Esben shades,  the  Baers.  the  Grafs  or 
GrofTs,  the  Koenigs,  the  Keneagys, 
the  Denlingers,  the  Becks,  the  Beck- 
ers, th  Sanders  or  Souders,  the  Reams 


and  others.  Matthias  Schleierrnacher 
(afterwards  Anglicized  as  Slaymaker) 
and  Heinrich  Zimmerman  (after- 
wards Anglicized  as  Carpenter)  were 
prominent   men. 

In  1718  the  Conestoga  Manor — af- 
terward Manor  township  —  was  sur- 
veyed for  the  use  of  the  Penn  family 
and  was  afterward  granted  to  Swiss 
and  German  Mennonite  settleis,  such 
as  the  Herrs,  the  Bachmans,  the 
Kauffmans,  the  Witmers,  the  Wiss- 
lers,  the  Eshlemans,  the  Kendigs,  the 
Stoners,  the  Mayers,  the  Stehmans, 
the  Newcomers,  the  Killaves,  the 
Millers,  the  Charleses,  the  Shanks,  the 
Hostetters,  the  Staufifers,  the  Landises 
the  Hersheys,  the  Oberholtzers,  the 
Lintners,  the  Zieglers,  the  Funks  and 
others.  The  principal  English  land- 
owners in  the  Conestoga  Man^r  were 
the  Wrights,  who  had  fifteen  hundred 
acres,  and  John  Cartlidge,  who  had  a 
large  tract  about  a  mile  northeast  of 
the  present  Safe  Harbor.  James 
Logan,  a  Scotch-Irishman,  and  at  one 
time  Governor  of  Pennsylvania, 
owned  a  large  tract  a  little  north  of 
the  present  Safe  Harbor.  James  Pat- 
terson, another  Scotch  -  Irishman, 
owned  a  tract  east  of  the  site  of  Wash- 
ington Borough.  The  Conestoga  In- 
diantown  was  granted  four  hundred 
acres  of  land,  and  Blue  Rock  com- 
prised eight  hundred  acres.  The  Ger- 
man families  of  Shuman  and  Manor 
settled  east  of  the  site  of  Washing- 
ton Borough  about  1772. 

In  the  vicinity  of  the  site  of  Colum- 
bia were  such  German  and  Swiss  set- 
tlers as  the  Tarrys,  the  Garbcrs,  the 
Stricklers,  the  Stehmans.  the  Kauff- 
mans. the  Herrs,  the  Rupleys  and 
others. 

In  1718  Hans  Graaf,  in  search  of  his 
runaway  horse  found  a  beautiful 
spring  some  miles  north  of  his  Pequea 
settlement,  to  which  he  removed  with 
his  family,  where  he  founded  a  new 
settlement  called  Graaf's  Thai,  or 
Grofif's  Dale.  His  descendants  have 
become  numerous  throughout  Lan- 
caster county,   and   the   name   lias   un- 


200 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


dergone  various  chancres,  such  as 
Groff,  Grove,  Graeff,  etc.  One  of  his 
six  sons  was  called  Graaf  der  Jaeger 
(the  hunter).  When  the  first  town- 
ships of  Lancaster  county  were 
formed  the  township  in  which  Hans 
Graaf  lived  was  called  Earl,  as  Earl 
is  the  English  word  for  Graaf.  In 
1719  Mr.  Wenger,  a  Swiss,  became 
one  of  Hans  Graaf's  neighbors,  and 
his  descendants  are  very  numerous  in 
Lancaster  county. 

In  1719  or  1720  some  Germans  who 
belonged  to  the  new  religious  sect  of 
the  Dunkers,  or  Tunkers,  First  Day 
German  Baptists,  founded  in  Germany 
in  1708  by  Alexander  Mack,  of 
Shreisheim,  in  the  Palatinate,  who, 
like  the  Mennonites,  were  very  simple 
in  their  dress  and  habits,  and  adverse 
to  others,  to  military  service  and  the 
use  of  law.  and  who  were  consequently 
severely  persecuted,  settled  at  Ger- 
mantown.  at  Oley  and  Shippack,  near 
the  Schuylkill,  and  along  the  Pequea 
and  Cocalico  creek,  in  the  present 
Lancaster  county.  Among  the  early 
German  settlers  along  the  Cocalico 
creek  were  Conrad  Beissel,  Joseph 
Schaeffer,  Hans  Mayer,  Heinrich 
Hoehn  and  several  Landises.  In  1729 
Alexander  Mack,  the  founder  of  the 
sect,  himself  settled  at  Muelbach,  or 
Mill  Creek,  on  the  Cocalico. 

In  1723  a  number  of  German  set- 
tlers belonging  to  the  Lutheran  and 
German  Reformed  Churches,  who  had 
been  living  in  Schoharie  county.  New 
York,  emigrated  to  Pennsylvania  and 
located  on  the  Swatara  and  Tulpe- 
hocken  creeks,  in  what  is  now  Dau- 
phin, Lebanon  and  Berks  counties 
and  among  these  were  the  Weisers, 
ancestors  of  the   Muhlenbergs. 

In  1723  or  1724  Everhard  Ream,  a 
German,  founded  Reamstown.  Other 
German  settlers  there  were  Bucher, 
Huber,  Keller,  Leader,  Schwarz- 
walder,  Schneider,  Killian,  Dock, 
Forney,  Rupp,  Balmer,  May,  Mayer, 
Hahn,  Ressler,  Beyer,  Leed,  Schlott, 
Graaf,  Wolf,  Feirerstein,  Weidman 
and  others. 


In  1723  or  1724  some  German  and 
Swiss  Mennonites  settled  in  the  re- 
gion of  the  present  East  Earl  town- 
ship, the  settlement  being  called 
Weber  Thai,  or  Weaver  Land,  from 
the  Webers,  or  Weavers.  The  chief 
settlers  were  Jacob  Weber,  Heinrich 
Weber,  George  Weber,  Hans  Good, 
the  Martins,  the  Millers,  the  Ruths,  the 
Zimmermans,  the  Schnaders. 

EPHRATA 

Among  the  Dunkers,  or  German 
Baptists  who  settled  at  Muelbach,  or 
Mill  Creek,  on  the  Cocalico  creek,  in 
1720  or  1721  was  Conrad  Beissel,  who 
soon  separated  from  the  sect  because 
he  believed  the  seventh  day  of  the 
week  (Saturday)  to  be  the  true  Sab- 
bath instead  of  the  first  day  (Sunday), 
and  who  in  1725  retired  from  the 
Muelbach  settlement,  and  for  some 
time  lived  like  a  hermit  in  a  cell  on 
the  banks  of  the  Cocalico.  When  his 
abode  became  known  others  settled 
around  him  and  adopted  his  views, 
thus  giving  rise  to  the  religious 
society  of  the  Sieben  Taeger,  or 
Seventh  Day  Baptists ;  and  the  set- 
tlement thus  established  in  1725  or 
1726  was  known  as  Ephrata,  or  Klos- 
ter,  or  Dunkertown,  the  last  name 
being  a  nickname  of  the  German  word 
Dunker,  or  Tunker,  a  corruption  of 
the  German  word  Taeufer  meaning 
Baptists.  The  society  adopted  a 
monastic  life  in  1732,  the  members 
living  like  the  monks  and  nuns  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  the  monks 
in  a  Brothers'  House  and  the  nuns  in 
a  Sisters'  House.  The  Kedar  meeting- 
house and  the  convent  Zion  were 
erected  on  a  hill  called  Mount  Zion. 
The  society  had  a  paper-mill,  a  print- 
ing house,  a  school-house,  a  bake- 
house- and  other  buildings,  one  of 
which  had  a  town-clock.  The  sisters* 
rooms  were  decorated  with  ink-paint- 
ings with  Scriptural  texts  in  orna- 
mented Gothic  letters  called  in  Ger- 
man, Fractur  Schriften.  Bissel's 
successor  as  Father  was  Peter  Miller. 
In     1739    Ludwig    Hoecker    came    to 


LANCASTER    COUNTY    HISTORY 


201 


Ephrata  from  Germany  and  was  ap- 
pointed teacher  of  the  common  school. 
He  afterward  opened  there  the  first 
Sabbath-School  in  the  world ;  though 
not  the  first  Sunday-school.  Religious 
books,  such  as  Fox's  Book  of  Martyrs 
and  other  works  were  printed  there. 
This  community  flourished  for  half  a 
century,  but  nothing  now  remains  of 
its  past  existence  except  crumbling 
walls  and  curious  pieces  of  workman- 
ship. Ephrata  afterward  became  noted 
as  a  summer  resort  and  its  mountain 
springs  became  celebrated. 

In  1727  about  a  thousand  Swiss  and 
Palatine  Mennonites  came  to  what  is 
now  Lancaster  county,  among  them 
being  the  Dififenderfers,  the  Eckmans, 
the  Eckerts,  the  Bowmans,  the  Eb- 
erlys,  the  Zugs,  the  Schultzes,  the 
Funks,  the  Frantzes,  the  Mayers  and 
others.  Alexander  Dififenderfer  set- 
tled in  Oley,  now  in  Berks  county. 
His  brother,  John  DifTenderfer,  settled 
at  what  is  now  New  Holland.  John's 
grandsons,  David  Diifenderfer  and 
Jacob  Diffenderfer,  were  Revolution- 
ary soldiers.  Other  German  settlers 
there  were  the  Rancks,  the  Bacherts, 
the  Becks,  the  Mayers,  the  Brim- 
mers, the  Kochs,  the  Hinkels,  the 
Schneiders,  the  Segers,  the  Siehleys, 
the  Brubachers,  the  Meixels,  the  Dil- 
lers,  etc. 

OLD    FAMILY    NAMES 

Among  the  Swiss  and  German  set- 
tlers who  came  here  before  1735  and 
whose  descendants  are  now  numerous 
in  Lancaster  county  are  such  names 
as  Herr,  Hess,  Harnish,  Hershey, 
Hiestand,  Landis,  Mylin,  Brubacher 
or  Brubaker,  Brenneman,  Witmer, 
Kindig  or  Kendig,  Stoner,  Hochstet- 
ter  or  Hostetter,  Zimmerman  or  Car- 
penter, Kreider  or  Greider,  Eckman, 
Eckert,  Ellmaker,  Schleiermacher  or 
Slaymaker,  Becker  or  Baker,  Beck, 
Bachman  or  Baughman,  Killhaven  or 
Killhcffer,  SchaefTer  or  Sheaflfer,  Wen- 
-ger,  DifTenderfer,  Graaf  or  GraefT  or 
Grove,  Musser,  Musselman,  Weaver 
or  Weber,  Good  or  Guth,  Eshleman  or 
Eshelman,      KaufTman,       Hoover      or 


Iluber,  Royer,  Boyer,  Bare  or  Bair  or 
Bear  or  Baer,  Bauman  or  Bowman, 
Oberholzer  or  Oberholtzer,  Garber  or 
Gerber,  Nissley,  Bassler,  Burkholder, 
Shank  or  Shenk,  Weidler,  Weidman, 
Suavely,  Hofifman,  Forney,  Ritter, 
Risser,  Eberly,  Gochenaur,  Stambach, 
Bomberger,  Umberger,  Burkhardt, 
Shififer,  Reist,  Sensenig,  Seldomridge, 
Sherrick  or  Shirk,  Keyser  or  Kaiser, 
Swope,  DitTcnbach  or  Dififeubaugh, 
Westhaver  or  WesthaefTer,  Sauder  or 
Souder,  Shissler,  Rohrer,  StaufTer, 
Erb,  Eby  or  Eaby,  Erisman  or  Ehris- 
man.  Brandt,  Ream,  Leaman  or  Leh- 
man, Shultz  or  Schulz,  Hauser  or 
Houser,  Muller  or  Miller,  Buckwalter, 
Mayer  or  Meyer  or  Moyer  or  Myers, 
Funk.  Newcomer,  Rathvon  or  Rath- 
fon,  Longenecker,  Niefif  or  NefT;  Bren- 
ner, Minnich,  Reinhardt,  Ehrhardt, 
Esbenshade,  Bushong,  Stehman,  Den- 
linger,  Dellinger,  Mellinger,  Schneider 
or  Snyder,  Schnader  or  Snader,  Her- 
man, Lichty  or  Light,  Frantz,  Brack- 
bill   and   many  others. 

DIFFERENT    NATIONALITIES 
REPRESENTED 

The  territory  between  the  Big 
Chickies  creek  and  the  Susquehanna 
river  was  settled  by  the  Scotch-Irish 
about  1715,  with  such  family  names  as 
Semple,  Mitchell,  Patterson,  Speer, 
Henderson,  Hendricks,  Galbraith, 
Anderson,  Scott,  Lowry,  Pedam,  Por- 
ter, Sterritt,  Kerr,Work,  Lytle,White- 
hill,  Campbell,  McClure,  etc.  In  1722 
diis  territory  was  erected  into  a  new 
township  called  Donegal  as  most  of 
these  settlers  come  from  county  Done- 
gal,-Ireland.  Some  of  the  descen- 
dants of  these  Scotch-Irish  settlers 
still  own  the  first  possessions  of  their 
ancestors. 

In  1717  English  Quakers  and 
Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians  settled 
along  Octoraro  creek,  among  whom 
were  William  Grimson,  the  Cooksons, 
the  Jervises,  the  Irwins  and  the 
Mays.  Some  years  later  came  the 
Pattersons,  the  Darbys,  the  Leonards, 
the  Joneses,  the  Steeles,  the  Matthews 


202 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


the  Cowens,  the  Murrays,  the  Millers, 
the  Allisons,  the  Mitchells  and  others. 

Septimius  Robinson  and  John  ]\Ius- 
grove,  English  settlers  were  among 
the  Swiss  Mennonite  settlers  in  the 
Pequea  valley.  The  Quaker  English 
brothers  John  and  Edmund  Cartlidge 
and  David  Jones,  a  Weshman,  located 
on  the  Conestoga,  near  the  mouth  of 
the  creek.  In  1715  English  and 
Welsh  settlers,  such  as  Peter  Bellas, 
Daniel  Harman,  William  Evans  and 
James  Smith  located  around  Smoke- 
town,  in  what  is  now  East  Lampeter 
township.  In  1716  Richard  Carter,  an 
Englishman,  settled  between  the  Con- 
estoga and  Pequea  creeks,  near  the 
Susquehanna.  He  afterward  settled  in 
what  is  now  Warwick  township.  In 
1716  other  English  settlers.  Alex- 
ander Bews,  Anthony  Bretter  and 
John  Gardiner,  settled  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Conestoga,  near  its  mouth. 
In  171 7  Joseph  Cloud,  another  Eng- 
lishman, located  near  the  Pequea.  In 
1719  Jenkin  Davis,  a  Welshman,  set- 
tled on  a  branch  of  the  Conestoga 
and  George  Stewart,  a  Scotch-Irish^ 
man,    located   near   the   Susquehanna. 

In  1714,  Alexander  Ross,  an  Eng- 
lishman, located  on  the  Little  Cono- 
wingo  creek ;  and  in  1717  Edward 
Sleadwell,  another  Englishman,  set- 
tled on  the  Octoraro  creek,  in  the  pres- 
ent Little  britain  township.  A  Mary- 
land grant  was  made  to  Mary  Graham 
a  Scotch-Irish  woman,  in  the  territory 
of  the  same  township  in  171 5.  Large 
tracts  were  granted  by  Maryland  to 
Emanuel  Grubb,  a  Welshman^  in  1716 
and  1720,  and  one  to  Thomas  Jacobs, 
another  Welshman,  in  the  same  town- 
ship in   1720. 

In  1682  a  number  of  Welsh  Episco- 
palians settled  west  of  the  Schuylkill, 
among  whom  was  Thomas  Owen.  In 
1686  Rowland  Ellis  and  one  hundred 
other  Welsh  settlers  came.  In  1698 
other  Welsh  emigrants  arrived,  among 
whom  were  William  Jones,  Robert 
Jones,  Robert  Evans,  Thomas  Evans, 
Owen  Evans,  Cadwallader  Evans, 
Hugh    Griffith,    John    Humphrey    and 


Edward  Foulke.  In  1723  another 
Welsh  settlement  was  made  in  the 
Welsh  Mountain  region  by  the 
Davises,  the  Evanses,  the  Douglases, 
the  Hendersons,  the  Morgans,  the  Jen- 
kinses, the  Edwards,  the  Robinets, 
the  Fords,  the  Fobets,  the  Lardners, 
the  Billingses  and  the  Sprengers.  The 
Welsh  also  settled  along  Allegheny 
creek,  a  branch  of  the  Tulpehocken. 

Hazard's  Register  states  the  follow- 
ing: "Kurtz,  it  is  supposed,  estab- 
lished the  first  Iron  Works  in  1726, 
within  the  present  bounds  of  T^ancas- 
ter  county.  The  Grubbs  were  distin- 
guished for  their  industry  and  enter- 
prise. They  commenced  operations  in 
1728." 

John  Hains,  the  Quaker  English- 
man, a  native  of  Yorkshire,  England, 
located  at  Paxton,  or  Paxtang,  the  site 
of  HarrisbuFg,  about  1705.  He  was  an 
Indian  trader,  and  was  once  captured 
by  some  drunken  Indians,  who  tied 
him  to  a  mulberry  tree  and  threatened 
to  burn  him  alive  because  he  refused 
to  sell  them  more  rum,  but  he  was  re- 
leased by  some  friendly  Indians  who 
came  to  his  rescue.  He  died  in  1748, 
and,  at  his  request,  was  buried  under 
the  shade  of  that  mulberry  tree,  in 
the  family  graveyard.  His  son,  John 
Harris,  the  first  white  child  born 
west  of  the  Conewago  hills  and  a  col- 
onel in  the  American  Revolutionary 
army,   founded   Harrisburg   in    1785. 

The  site  of  Lancaster  was  first  set- 
tled by  Colonel  George  Gibson,  an 
Englishman  and  an  Indian  trader, 
who  established  a  tavern  on  the  site  o 
the  First  National  Bank,  on  East 
King  street,  as  early  as  1721  or  1722. 
According  to  tradition  the  Indian  vil- 
lage of  Hickory  Town  stood  on  the 
site,  there  being  a  hickory  tree  in  the 
center  of  the  village,  near  a  spring. 

In  1727  three  Quaker  Englishmen — 
John  Wright,  Robert  Barktr  and 
Samuel  Blunston — settled  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Susquehanna,  south  of 
Chickies  Hill,  which  was  the  begin- 
ning of  the  present  town  of  Colum- 
bia. John  Wright  was  the  founder  of 
Columbia    and    of    Lancaster    county. 


LANCASTER    COUNTY    HISTORY 


20a 


His  descendants  have  since  resided  in 
Columbia ;  and  Wrightsville  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river,  is  named 
after  this  family.  Wright,  Barber  and 
Blunston  were  active,  enterprising  and 
useful  citizens,  and  their  names  are  in- 
timately associated  with  the  early  his- 
tory of  Lancaster  county.  Tlie  Pat- 
tons  and  other  Scotch-Irish  soon  set- 
tled in  that  locality,  as  did  such  Ger- 
man and  Swiss  families  as  the  Forrys, 
the  Garbers,  the  Stricklers,  the  Steli- 
mans,  the  Kauffmans,  the  Herrs,  the 
Rupleys  and  others. 

When  Lancaster  county  was  erected 
in  1729,  there  were  one  thousand 
Quaker  families  settled  within  its 
limits,  their  settlements  extending 
from  the  Octoraro  to  the  Susque- 
hanna. 

The  French  Huguenot  families  of 
the  Ferrees  and  the  Lefevres  settled 
in  what  is  now  Leacock  and  Paradise 
townships,  and  their  descendai-ts  have 
since  spread  to  various  parts  of  Lan- 
caster county,  of  Pennsylvania  and 
the  United  States.  From  the  marriage 
of  Isaac  Lefevre  with  Catharine  Fer- 
ree  have  sprung  all  the  Lefevres  in 
America.  The  French  Canadians, 
jMartin  Chartiere,  and  his  son  and 
heir  Pierre  Chartiere,  Pierre  F)izaillon 
and  Jacques  Le  Tort  had  resided 
among  the  Indians  as  traders  some 
years  before  the  settlement  of  Lancas- 
ter county  and  the  Chartiers  and  Le 
Tort  held  lands  in  what  is  now  Manor 
township,  and  Bizaellon  at  Paxtang, 
the  site  of  Harrisburg. 

In  the  meantime  squatters  had 
located  west  of  the  Susquehanna,  in 
what  is  now  York  county ;  and  John 
Grist,  one  of  these,  was  involved  in 
trouble  with  the  Indians,  and  was  fi- 
nally forced  to  remove  by  the  prov- 
incial authorities  at  Philadelphia,  on 
complaint  of  the  Indians. 

FORMATION  OF  COUNTY 

In  February,  1729,  Governor  Pat- 
rick Gordon  and  his  Council  granted 
a  petition  of  the  Chester  county  set- 
tlers   of    Octoraro    creek    for    a    new 


county,  and  appointed  a  commission 
of  twelve  prominent  men,  consisting 
of  Henry  Hayes,  Samuel  Nutt,  Sam- 
uel Ilollings  worth,  Philip  Taylor, 
Elisha  Gatchell  and  James  James, 
from  what  is  now  Chester  county, 
and  John  Wright,  Tobias  Hendricks, 
Samuel  Blunston,  Andrew  Cornish, 
Thomas  Edwards  and  John  Mus- 
grove,  from  what  is  now  Lancaster 
county,  to  meet  John  Taylor,  the 
public  surveyor  of  Chester  county,  to 
survey  and  mark  the  boundary  line 
between  Chester  county  and  the  pro- 
posed new  county.  In  May,  1729,  this 
commission  reported  to  the  Governor 
and  his  Council.  The  Governor  sub- 
mitted the  report  to  the  Assembly  of 
the  province;  and  on  May  10,  1729, 
the  Assembly  passed  an  act  erecting 
all  that  part  of  Chester  coimty  west 
of  the  Octoraro  creek  and  north  and 
west  of  a  line  of  marked  trees,  from 
the  north  branch  of  the  said  Octoraro 
creek,  northwesterly  to  the  Schuyl- 
kill river,  into  a  new  county  to  be 
named  Lancaster  county,  so  named 
by  the  Quaker  John  Wright,  after  his 
native  county,  Lancaster,  or  Lan- 
cashire, in  England,  who  had  re- 
moved from  Chester  in  1726  and  set- 
tled along  the  Susquehanna  on  the 
site  of  Columbia. 

Lancaster  county  was  the  first 
county  of  Pennsylvania  formed  after 
Philadelphia,  Bucks  and  Chester 
counties,  the  first  three  original  coun- 
ties within  the  present  limits  of  the 
State.  For     twenty     years      (1729- 

1749)  Lancaster  county  embraced  all 
of  Pennsylvania  north  and  west  of 
Chester  county.  It  was  gradually  re- 
duced to  its  present  size  by  the  erec- 
tion of  York  county  in  1749,  Cumber- 
land county  in  1750,  Berks  county  in 
1752,  Northampton  county  in  1772, 
Dauphin  county  in  1785  and  Lebanon 
county  in  1813. 

A  public  meeting  of  the  leading 
citizens  of  the  new  county,  at  John 
Postlethwait's  tavern,  the  site  of  the 
old  homestead  of  the  Fehls,  in  Cones- 
toga      township,        near        Conestoga 


204 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


M^' 


creek,  June  9,  1729,  agreed  on  the 
names  and  boundaries  of  the  town- 
ships of  the  county ;  and  a  magistrates' 
court  at  the  same  place  confirmed  the 
report  of  the  citizens'  public  meeting, 
August  5,  1729. 

Of  the  seventeen  original  town- 
ships Derry  and  Peshtank  (now  Pax- 
ton)  are  in  the  present  Lebanon 
county.  The  fourteen  original  town- 
ships within  the  present  limits  of 
Lancaster  county  were  Caernarvon, 
Salisbury,  Sadsbury,  Drumore,  Mar- 
tic,  Conestoga,  Hempfield,  Donegal, 
Warwick,  Earl,  Leacock,  Lampeter, 
Manheim  and  Lancaster.  Co.iestoga 
and  Donegal  had  been  townships  of 
Chester  county  before  the  formation 
of  Lancaster  county.  Most  of  these 
townships  have  since  been  divided  so 
as  to  make  forty-one  townships  for 
Lancaster  county. 

DERIVATION    OF    NAMES 

Most  of  the  townships  were  named 
after  places  which  the  settlers  came 
from  in  England,  Wales,  Ireland,  or 
Germany.  Thus  Salisbury,  Lancas- 
ter and  Warwick  were  named  after 
places  in  England,  the  last  named 
being  Richard  Carter,  who  came  from 
Warwickshire,  England.  Caernarvon 
and  Lampeter  were  named  after 
places  in  Wales.  Drumore,  Martic, 
Leacock,  Donegal  and  Derry  were 
named  after  places  in  Ireland,  Man- 
heim was  named  after  the  city  of  that 
name  in  Germany.  Earl  was  named 
after  Hans  Graaf,  being  the  German 
name  of  Earl.  Hempfield  was  so 
named  because  of  the  large  quantities 
of  hemp  raised  there.  Lebanon  was  a 
Scriptural  name.  Conestoga  and 
Peshtank  were  Indian  names,  as  was 
Cocalico,  formed  also  in  1729,  several 
months  after  the  first  seventeen 
townships,  and  being  the  Indian 
name  of  the  creek  flowing  through  it. 

LOCATION   OF  COUNTY   SEAT 

By  the  act  establishing  Lancaster 
county,  John  Wright,  Caleb  Pierce, 
James  Mitchell  and  Thomas  Edwards 


were  empowered  to  purchase  a  site 
for  the  county  court-house  and  prison. 
Three  sites  were  proposed — Wright's 
Ferry,  now  Columbia;  James  Postle- 
thwait's  place,  now  Fehl's  in  Cones- 
toga township;  and  Gibson's  place, 
the  site  of  Lancaster.  The  first  county 
courts  were  held  at  Postlethwait's 
tavern,  from  June,  1729,  to  August, 
1730;  and  a  temporary  wooden  court- 
house and  jail  were  erected  there. 
Wright,  Pierce  and  Mitchell  selected 
Gibson's  place  as  the  site  for  the 
county-seat,  and  their  report  was 
confirmed  by  the  Governor  and  his 
Council,  May  i,  1729.  A  town  was 
laid  out  there  in  1730  by  James  Ham- 
ilton, of  Philadelphia,  and  named 
Lancaster,  after  Lancaster,  England. 
The  road  from  Philadelphia  to  Harris' 
Ferry  (now  Harrisburg)  passed 
through  the  new  town. 

On  petition  of  the  grand  jury, 
magistrates  and  inhabitants  of  Lan- 
caster county,  the  Provincial  Council 
at  Philadelphia  appointed  a  commis- 
sioner of  seven  promient  men  from 
Lancaster  county  and  seven  from 
Chester  county  to  lay  out  a  public 
highway,  by  way  of  Postlethwait's  in 
Conestoga  township,  from  the  Cones- 
toga Indian  Town,  in  the  present 
Manor  township,  to  the  King's  high- 
road in  Chester  county,  leading  to 
Philadelphia.  The  viewers  made  their 
report  October  4,  1733,  and  the  Coun- 
cil confirmed  it,  and  the  road  was 
declared  the  King's  Highway  This 
is  the  road  passing  east  from  Fehl's, 
through  Strasburg  and  the  Gap,  to 
Philadelphia. 

As  Maryland  claimed  the  territory 
of  southern  Pennsylvania  as  far  north 
as  the  sites  of  Columbia  and  Wrights- 
ville,  there  were  many  border  con- 
tests between  Pennsylvania  and 
Maryland  settlers  in  what  isnow  York 
county,  Pennsylvania,  for  more  than 
thirty  years  after  1732.  The  Mary- 
land raiders  were  led  by  Colonel 
Thomas  Cresap,  and  the  contest  is 
known  as  Cresap's  War.  Marylanders 


LANCASTER    COUNTY    HISTORY 


20S 


were  captured  and  jailed  at  L-ancaster 
and  Philadelphia,  while  Pennsylvan- 
ians  were  imprisoned  at  Baltimore 
and  Annapolis,  Maryland.  In  1767 
the  border  contests  were  ended  and 
the  disputed  boundary  between  Mary- 
land and  Pennsylvania  finally  settled 
by  Mason  and  Dixon's  Line,  estab- 
lished by  Charles  Mason  and  Jere- 
miah Dixon,  surveyors  appointed  for 
the  purpose  by  the  British  govern- 
ment. 

COUNTIES    AND    TOWNSHIPS 
ESTABLISHED 

The  Quakers,  John  and  James 
Hendricks,  of  Hempfield  township, 
made  the  first  settlement  in  the  pres- 
ent York  county  in  1729.  Other  set- 
tlements were  made  west  of  the  Sus- 
(luehanna.  in  what  are  now  York, 
Adams,  Franklin,  Cumberland  and 
Perry  counties ;  and  the  townships  of 
Pennsborough  and  Hopewell,  within 
the  limits  of  the  present  Cumberland 
count)^  were  erected  by  order  of  the 
Lancaster  county  court  in  November, 
1735.  In  October,  1740,  the  town  of 
York  was  laid  out  by  Thomas  Cook- 
son,  Deputy  Surveyor  of  Lancaster 
county,  by  order  of  the  Penns.  On 
petition  of  the  settlers  west  of  the 
Susquehanna  river,  the  Governor  and 
Legislature  of  Pennsylvania  erected 
that  part  of  Lancaster  county  west  of 
the  river  into  a  new  county  called 
York,  August  19,  1749,  Cumberland 
county  was  erected  west  of  the  river, 
north  of  York,  January  27,  1750. 
Berks  county  was  erected  out  of  parts 
of  Lancaster,  Philadelphia  and  Bucks 
counties,  March   11,   1752. 

The  Lancaster  county  court  erected 
the  following  townships  east  of  the 
Susquehanna:  Hano\er  township, 
out  of  Paxton  township,  in  what  is 
now  Dauphin,  February,  1737;  Lit- 
tle Britain,  out  of  the  southern  part 
of  Drumore,  and  Colerain,  out  of  the 
southern  part  of  Sadsbury,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1738;  Berne  township,  from 
part  of  Tulpehocken  township,  in 
what    is   now    Berks   county,    in    1738; 


Bethel  township,  from  part  of  Leba- 
non township,  in  what  is  now  Leba- 
non county,  in  1739;  Rapho,  out  of 
that  part  of  Donegal  between  the  Big 
Chickies  and  Little  Chickies  creeks, 
in  May,  1741  ;  and  Bart,  out  of  the 
western  part  of  Sadsbury,  in  Novem- 
ber, 1743.  Little  Britain  was  so 
named  because  its  early  settlers  were 
all  from  Great  Britain.  Colerain  and 
Rapho  were  named  after  the  places 
where  the  early  settlers  came  from  in 
Ireland.  Bart  is  a  contraction  of 
baronet,  and  was  so  named  from  Gov- 
ernor Sir  William  Keith,  wTio  w^as  a 
baronet.  Brecknock  township,  named 
by  its  early  Welsh  settlers  after 
Brecknock  county,  Wales,  was  in 
existence   in    1740. 

Between  1735  and  1740  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Reinholdsville  was  set- 
tled by  Germans,  such  as  Han.'-'.  Zim- 
merman,